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| Adila Jail Rawalindi |
Adiala Jail has attained an historic
place in Pak politics over a period of time as there is hardly any top leader
who has not seen the inner empire within the four walls of this jail where the
jail superintendent rules it with impunity with the support of his cabinet
comprising of deputy superintendents. These deputy superintendents are vested
with the powers of maintaining order in respective barracks housing convicts
and under trial prisoners.
The jail regime is like a kingdom
where the top hierarchy of the jail administration demand and ensure of the
prisoners to act like their subjects and not human beings. It requires everyone
to keep their eyes on the ground while any of the top hierarchy passes by them.
Every new entrant has to go through a disgraceful and humiliating exercise next
morning when he presents himself before the deputy superintendent for
‘Malaheza’ (inspection). They are made to sit on the ground in a queue keeping
their eyes down throughout the inspection and any deviation would earn him public
punishment. There is one thing, which goes in the favour of the jail
administrators and that’s “equality”. There is no discrimination between an
under trial prisoner or a convict and both receive the same treatment in terms
of humiliation. One can feel the sense of terror and fear in every corner of
the jail.
However, the incarcerated politicians
and bureaucrats who can influence the jail authorities, either through their
political clout or financial clout, can pass their days inside the jail a bit comfortably
as compared to ordinary prisoners. They can secure their place in the jail
hospital with the courtesy of the jail doctor, who also enjoys a considerable
authority under the jail manual. He has his own network to deal with the
prisoners looking for place inside the medical Centre of the jail.
The jail staff is hardly friendly
unless their palms are continuously greased. The moment one enters the gate of
the jail; his first encounter would be with the jail official, who would carry
out his personal search to see that the new entrant does not take any
contraband item, cash or mobile phone inside the jail. If he wants to take cash
with him, then he has to bribe the official who would take his share from the
cash and would let you in with it.
It was the month of December 1996
post fall of MBB govt when I was taken into custody from my FIA office whereas
many loyal FIA officers had informed me not to come to the office as the
decision to arrest you had been already taken since you had earlier refused to
become approver against Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto/Asif Zardari and General Babar,
the then interior minister.
While sitting with senior colleagues
like Saeed Alrai, the then Director and Ch. Iftikhar, the then ADG, I was told
to leave quietly but I decided to face. However, when asked, I was told that the
grounds for my arrest would be in the mind were: 1. Investigation into creation
of IJI & my visit to Germany under the instruction of the then PM/ then
interior minister. 2. Investigation into fake and benami accounts in different
banks, transfer and deposit of millions of dollars in these accounts and
creation of loan facilities in favour of Hudabiya Engineering and Hudabiya
Paper Mills and investigation into Avenfield flats/Yellow Cab scheme/Motorway
project and Mehran Bank scam.
The director HQ told me that there is
no case/matter against you but instructions are to arrest you. FIA and other
agencies could not establish anything and finally by evening I was taken to
local FIA office. By 11 pm I was put in a cell where there were ice blocks in a
corner of the cell for bringing the temperature down below normal temperature
with the intentions of torturing me. I was in my normal shalwar qameez and it
was terrible cold and in order to keep myself warm I started static running in
low speed.
It was for the first time when I came
to know, when I was produced before a magistrate for remand, that a FIA team
had conducted a raid under the supervision of a local magistrate on the house
of a human smuggler at Lahore three years back and it was all alleged that I along
with the assistant director of FIA had stolen tolas of gold recovered from the
house. It was a ridiculous allegation as I was neither present at the house nor
part of the raiding party but FIA was directed to register the case against me
to justify my arrest. This case was one of the series of the fake cases
subsequently registered against me just to keep me under pressure to secure a
statement from me against Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Gen.
(R) Baber which I continued to decline.
However, all these fake cases could
not stand the test of the trial and I was acquitted from all the cases.
Unfortunately these fake cases made my journey to Adiala jail and I suffered
for supervising the investigation above mentioned cases for one year as Farooq
Leghari and Sharif family wanted to teach me a lesson for these cases. I was
twice taken to PM House and relieved and senior appointments were offered
against my affidavits to implicate SMBB /SAZ in fake cases. I categorically
denied being an approver.
What a coincidence that I spent a
year in jail’s Kholi Number 1 (The prison cell is popularly known as Kholi)
where later on even Shahbaz Sharif was also lodged and subsequently Asif Ali
Zardari was imprisoned there and we all shared the same Behshti (attendant)
during being prisoner of Kholi Number 1. I feel sorry that now Mian Nawaz
Sharif is in the same Kholi Number 1, in the centre of prison. Mian Shahbaz
Sharif once came to inspect in jail being the CM but he chose not to come to my
Kholi but later on I learnt in exile that he was lodged by Gen. Pervez
Musharraf in the same cell.
It was interesting that his
helicopter during the same visit flew from the jail and for few minutes
remained static over my Kholi and I was for my “Delai “ and Delai is name given
to the permission to walk for one hour. I told my attendant that Mian Shahbaz
has shown Takabbar (pride) making me realize that FIA under me had made cases
and now he is watching today and showing me his power to imprison me and the
day is not far he will land here in the same prison as it did happen later.
It was perhaps for other reasons that
he landed in the same Kholi. This barrack has the honours to see the
helplessness of big rulers/ministers/prime minister and the future president.
I have written a book on my memories
of jail, which will be published soon. I suffered in jail in the said Barrack
for mere discharging my normal legitimate duty as an FIA officer and I feel bad
to see that now Mian Nawaz Sharif is in the same Kholi for the same matter of
Pak Lane flats which I had investigated and he is convicted of, and it teaches
us great lesson that time is itself a great investigator and a judge and it is
the “Time” which prisoned Nawaz Sharif.
It was this case that my many
investigators had to leave in exile in worst circumstance and one of them is
Sajjad Haider, the then assistant director (lately retired as director FIA) and
some inspectors suffered in the form of suspensions and termination for this
investigation alone.
When I look 25 years back I am
convinced that I had been in exile for 11 years due to the investigations of
these cases.
Trust me I am not happy that Mian
Nawaz Sharif is imprisoned now but I certainly resent to our criminal justice
system being out-dated, as it has no sense of time line. Rule of law comes into
force if the law is implemented with time line as per the given provisions of
the Cr.P.C.
Let me share with you all that
entering jail is the most horrible experience for any person especially for a
top law enforce including top politician/prime minister.
Our prisons have been the host of
political prisoners/Generals/other army officers for failed coups though Gen
Musharraf could avoid Adiala and managed to land in a mini-Adiala in his own
Farm House.
I remember that dreadful evening when
I was taken from a safe house to the jail, where I had spent few hours in the
company of Hussain Lawai, the then employee of Faysal Islamic Bank and Qureshi,
former Chief Secretary. The entry into jail gate is very unfriendly and one
feels convicted even before formally convicted which is unfair with under trial
prisoner. ‘B’ class is useless as there is hardly any reasonable facility.
I also was shifted from Kholi No 1 to
yet another cells where all accused arrested by me as director FIA from Lashkar
Jhangvi were prisoned. It was the cell dedicated for the terrorists and it was
in fact torture and punishment for me to be taken there. I was told later that
same cell allotted to me was previously used by Sh. Rasheed when he was
prisoned here.
It was small room with one small
window and a small toilet in one corner to ensure the inmate is tortured with
dirty foul smell from dirty wall-less bathroom.
The dealings and the time spent with
other jail associates is another story but it gave me a chance to learn their
true stories and their conversion from ordinary God fearing boys to terrorists.
I will narrate my experience of first arresting them and then be in the same
prison day and night with them. Thank God I faced no problem from them and they
rather remained respectful. Though anti-forces of mine with the Said govt had
managed to lodge me in the dangerous terrorist barrack considering that I would
be killed in their hands.
The jail superintendent told me in
confidence that the then government was suspecting that I would escape from
jail and that is why I was shifted to high security barack of terrorists. I hope
Mian sahib is not lodged in any of the terrorist cells or with PTI associated
prisoners. I do not see Mian Nawaz Sharif and Maryam in the jail for a very
long time and it is matter of weeks due to legal space available for them. It
is unfortunate to have our thrice-elected PM in prison where as per our
political history the prison shines politician and the people see it as
additional qualification for politicians. I think Sh. Rasheed would endorse it,
as he is also fellow student of this great un-regulated university called
Adiala.
In the end I appreciate Mian Nawaz
Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif for their right decision to return to surrender
before the rule of law. Let us see how Shahbaz Sharif uses the present
political situation to help his brother while he in jail or he prefers to
promote his son Hamza Shahbaz instead of Maryam Nawaz. It is another story that
Shahbaz Sharif could not force his way to the airport to receive his returning
brother who was expecting a big crowd led by Shahbaz Sharif at the airport.
Mian Nawaz Sharif faced the same situation before as well when he returned from
exile and not a single soul was present and he was sent back to UK by General
Musharraf. The same thing has been repeated by his party and the difference now
is that he was sent to jail unhindered as the awaited fleet of Shahbaz Sharif
could not reach due to unexplained reasons and perhaps known to Mian Nawaz
Sharif himself. Whereas, Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz both showed full
maturity before the media and at the time of handed themselves over to the law
enforcers at Lahore airport. Let us see what would be the next move of Mian
Shahbaz Sharif to get the desired relief to his brother and niece.
I wish Mian Nawaz Sharif had not
spoken against the institutions whereas over the period of time I have observed
that he has improved his skills to demonstrate being stable in the present
developed situation. Let us see how PML N can cash the high profile return of
Mian Nawaz Sharif.
The Article has been published
in Daily “The News” dated July 19, 2018 and The Link to Original Article is: ‘Kholi No 1’ of Adiala Jail by Senator A. Rehman Malik
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