Human rights body concerned about Pakistani fighters

Pakistan's Human Rights Commission (HRCP) on Thursday reiterated concern about what it believes to be as many as 2,000 Pakistani nationals languishing in prisons throughout Afghanistan. The commission said most of the men, some still in their teens, were not professional fighters, but had only joined the Taliban against Northern Alliance (NA) forces following US-led retaliatory strikes on the country in October. "Of the 4,000 prisoners being held, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 of them are believed to be Pakistanis," HRCP chairman, Afrasiab Khattak told IRIN from Peshawar, the provincial capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP). But Khattak maintained these people were different from the committed fighters who made up the bulk of the Taliban's forces. He said most had not emerged from the madrasahs (religious schools), nor were they members of militant organisations. "They were inspired by the fiery speeches of the mullahs in the wake of the US bombings," he said. "Half of the Pakistani nationals being held come from Malakind division in northern NWFP, an area noted for religious fervour," he noted. HRCP provincial coordinator in Peshawar, Tariq Ahmed Khan explained that more than 10,000 Pakistani men went to Afghanistan with Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi, a militant Islamic group, which favours the application of Islamic shari'ah. According to their information, 1,000 of them were still missing, while many of them paid ransoms to local warlords for their release. "We are concerned," he told IRIN. "We have been contacted by more than 20 to 30 families seeking information about their loved ones," he said. Khattak said the largest concentration of these captives was in Shiberghan, the provincial capital of the northern Afghan province of Jowzjan. "The recently established government in Kabul has yet to formally extend its writ to these areas in terms of local administration," he said. "This means there is no real monitoring of prison conditions by competent observers," he asserted. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is continuing to monitor the situation. Michael Khambatta, head of the ICRC sub-office in Peshawar told IRIN they had succeeded in bringing messages from the northern Afghan province of Mazar-e Sharif to 165 families in Malakind division and hope to do more. According to the ICRC official they were continuing to register detainees and make visits to assess detention conditions. "We have registered 1,700 detainees and there are at least another 2,400 we are in the process of registering," he said. Unable to give exact figures on the number of foreign nationals being detained, he said: "Through our private interviews with detainees, we assess conditions of detention and hold discussions with the authorities." Findings, however, remain confidential between the ICRC and the detaining authorities, he emphasised. "We want to make sure that all detainees are held in humane conditions receiving appropriate medical treatment, shelter, food and clothing," he explained. Commenting on ICRC's efforts, Khattak said: "We appreciate the efforts of ICRC, but how regular their access to prisoners is remains unknown which is why we are concerned." Describing prison conditions inside the country as poor, he argued the men should be handed over to Islamabad and if any legal measures were to be taken, it should be done so in accordance with Pakistani law. "These sentimental youths indulged in this misadventure excited by religious agitators. We must distinguish them from the professional fighters who had committed to fight long before, and take a more lenient view towards them." he added.