LAHORE, Nov 20: Of more than 20 torture cells that existed at the Lahore Fort till 1988, just one is left as the rest of them have been converted into Pakistan Institute of Training and Research.
The Federal Archeology Department built the institute after the Nawaz-led provincial administration ordered demolition of the cells. The only cell now reminds of those who were tortured and one of them was Communist Party of Pakistan Secretary-General Hasan Nasir who continues to inspire a legion of his admirers even 50 years after his death. He was tortured to death in one of the cells at the Lahore Fort on Nov 13, 1960.
Nasir belonged to Hyderabad (Deccan) and had fought along with Makhdoom Mohyuddin and others in the Telangana armed struggle. A maternal grandson of Nawab Mohsinul Mulk, he proved himself one of the leading communist leaders who fought for the rights of the oppressed. He was arrested in 1960 and detained at the Lahore Fort where he was tortured and eventually died.
Historians say these cells were established in the Mughal era and were later modified in Sikh and British periods. The Lahore Fort right from the British Raj until 1988 remained a symbol of terror and tyranny because it was used as an interrogation centre.
This majestic monument was a dark detention and investigation centre where many independence movement activists were kept before 1947. After independence the torture cells came under the Criminal Investigation Agency and a large number of prisoners were tortured and interrogated in these cells. Most of the captives belonged to Communist Party and Pakistan People's Party.
According to a retired official of Federal Archeology Department, these cells were established at the Fort in the Sikh period (1799- 1839) at Royal Kitchens areas. In 1988, the then chief minister, Nawaz Sharif got the cells vacated from CIA on the request of the archaeology department.
The archaeology department has constructed a building at this place by the name of Pakistan Institute of Training and Research, housing offices of various archeology officials. Only one torture cell exists at the moment and that is in front of the Deputy Director's office.
The official told Dawn that this was the cell where Akbar Bugti was detained in 60's. Among others detained in these cells were Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Muhammad Khan Daku (Sargodha).
Asked why the department let the cells demolished despite the fact they had great historical significance, he said the Lahore Fort had cultural importance and the officials of the department deputed in those days at Fort remained horrified because of the cries of the prisoners.
He said he could not tell the exact number of cells at the Fort as it was a no-go area.
An official of the department told Dawn that they had no written record of those cells one of which had been preserved as a symbol of that period.
Many prominent people were kept in those cells and they included Rana Shaukat Mehmood, his wife Nasira Shaukat, Aslam Naro, Mian Farooq Kashif, Asif Butt, Chaudhry Azam, Naseem Kashmiri, Shahida Jabeen, Usman Ghani, Idrees Toti, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Jahangir Badr, Yousaf Khattak, Aslam Ludhianvi, Ahsan Wyne, Mian Munir Ahmed, Pervaiz Saleh, Agha Navid and journalists Khawar Naeem Hashmi and Khalid Chaudhry.