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Published 16 Sep, 2018 07:52pm

Man dies from alleged torture at rehabilitation centre in Rawalpindi

A 24-year-old man, who was admitted by his parents to a drug rehabilitation clinic in Rawalpindi's Panj Sarki area a week ago, died of alleged torture by the facility's medical staff on Saturday, DawnNews TV reported.

The victim's father told DawnNews TV that he had admitted his son — who had been using drugs for a year — at the said centre on Sept 9.

On Sept 13, the father said, that the centre had shown to him camera footage of his son in which he had looked healthy. However, on Sept 15 (Saturday), the facility's staff informed the parents that their son had suddenly died.

When the parents arrived at the centre, they found torture marks on the dead body while also noticing that their son's head had been shaved.

According to the father, the medical staff claimed that the deceased had tried to escape prior to his death, due to which he had to be restrained with ropes.

The victim's father accused the centre's doctors of giving his son electric shocks and beating him with belts.

Furthermore, the deceased's father said that the Civil Lines police station's officials were refusing to register a first information report (FIR) against the clinic.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Usman Tariq told DawnNews TV that the dead body has been sent to the District Headquarters Hospital for a post-mortem examination, and that police are awaiting the doctors' report.

ASP Tariq further said that if the post-mortem examination report identifies torture as the cause of death, police will register a case against the rehabilitation centre's doctors.

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