200 Pakistani prisoners at Bagram go on hunger strike

PESHAWAR: Around 200 Pakistani prisoners languishing in the maximum security Bagram prison reportedly started hunger strike against what they termed “inhuman treatment of the jail authorities and denying them their fundamental human rights” by the US and Afghan security authorities.
“We are around 200 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Block No 12 of the prison inside the Bagram airbase. Some of the prisoners have been imprisoned for the past six to eight years and have already completed their prison term but they? are syill kept in the jail,” said a caller who introduced himself as Abdullah, one of the 200 Pakistani prisoners in Block 12 of the prison.
He said that majority of the prisoners have been awarded punishment on the basis of their connection with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.
“Most of the prisoners are suffering from certain physical ailments. Many show sign of mental disorders,” said the Pakistani prisoner.
He said they were neither provided sufficient food nor access to doctors or medicines.
“The prisoners had become fed up with the inhuman environment and cruel attitude of the jail authorities. The jail is supervised by the US military authorities but they never come here and have left us in the hands of Afghan officials,” he said.
He said that a few days ago the US officials visited the prison and they complained to them about the poor living conditions and lack of proper food and medicines.
“As the US authorities didn’t take any notice of our plight, all of us decided to go on hunger strike as it is better to die instead of suffering this non-stop inhuman environment,” he argued.
The prisoner claimed that he belongs to Peshawar and was kept in different prisons for eight years and shifted to Bagram two years ?ago.
He said that besides a number of Pakistani militant commanders, former deputy head of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and chief of the militants in Bajaur tribal region Maulvi Faqir Mohammad is also lodged in the same prison with them.
“Like other militants and commanders, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad has been suffering badly from mental health disorder but there are neither doctors nor drugs available to him and us,” he said.
The prisoner said all the prisoners had stopped eating and drinking for the past two days as a mark protest. “We will continue the hunger strike till we are provided our basic rights as prisoners. We urge the media to report our hunger strike.
We ask the Afghan and Pakistan governments and human rights activists to take note of our protest,” he added.