The Lahore High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's reply in regard to a petition seeking release and repatriation of seven Pakistani citizens detainees at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. Earlier, a standing counsel Karamat Ali Awan appeared before the court and stated that a representative of foreign office had visited Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan and reported that all seven Pakistani citizens were well over there.
This irked the court and it scolded law officer for making an irresponsible statement. The court highlighted the failures of the Ministry in enforcing the rights of its own citizens and proactively securing their repatriation and rehabilitation. The court observed that it is indeed appalling that Pakistan's own government and ministries were so apathetic.
"If they had committed any offence bring them back to Pakistan and they will be tried under law of the land. The rulers treat the people like animals as no one is paying attention to Pakistani citizens detained in Afghanistan," the court remarked. The counsel of the petitioners Barrister Sarah Belal had already filed the statement of a Pakistani citizen Kamil Shah who was detained at Bagram five years ago. She told the court that Shah confirmed brutal torture on prisoners by US forces at the notorious jail.
She pointed out that the statement of Shah clearly demonstrated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' lack of interest towards Pakistani citizens unlawfully detained in foreign countries, specially, in regard to the Bagram Prison in Afghanistan. The counsel said all the seven Pakistani citizens were being held without access to lawyers and without having been informed of the evidence against them.
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