Sindh police on Tuesday sealed the seminary located in Gadap Town and booked five persons over the charge of torturing and keeping at least 88 people into custody, illegally in its basement. According to police sources, a case 273/11 was registered under sections 342, 344, 506-B, 337-1/34 against five persons, namely Qari Usman (detained), Mufti Daud, Qari Abdullah, Qari Qudrat Ullah and Maulana Fakharuddin. They said the raids were being conducted to nab other persons.
They said that some 88 persons, including 14 children were found shackled in the basement of the seminary known as Jamia Masjid Zikria Kandhelwi Madarsa Arabia located in Afghan Basti during raid conducted by Gulshan-e-Maymar police on late Monday. They said the basement, which spread over 150 square yards and located adjacent to seminary, was being run for the six years where most of the persons ages ranged between 12 to 55 were detained. They said the administrators of the said Madarsa, who chained these captives, were alleged of abusing these captives and applying severe torture on them.
Meanwhile, the investigators dispelled the impression of finding any clue of terrorism link in the seminary, saying that although they had recovered 88 captives from the place, no terrorism link was established from the seminary. One of the alleged persons namely Qari Usman said he joined this seminary two months ago and denied to have involved in any sort of criminal or terrorism activity. He said the seminary charged Rs 3000 to Rs 15000 as fee from the parents of the children for their treatment, food and Quranic studies. He said the administration chained only those persons, who tried to be harm for others.