The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and high-ups of the armed forces have agreed to constitute teams for three internment centers in order to decide the fate of suspected militants arrested since 2009.
According to officials, each internment center would be supervised by a commissioner along with a high-ranking military officer. The internment centers have been operative in Malakand, Kohat and Lakki Marwat so far.
Competent authorities through confirmed the decision on Wednesday, saying a commissioner and colonel-rank military officer would be members of the Oversight Board for the internment centers. Col Shahid Iqbal Khan of HQR’s 19th Division will be the member of Oversight Board with Malakand commissioner for the Malakand Internment Center. Col Kamran Rahim of HQR’s 11-Corps will be the member for Internment Center Kohat and Col Kaukab Hassan of HQR’s 40-Division Dera Ismael Khan will be member of the committee for internment center in Lakki Marwat. Chitral has not been included in the oversight board.
Sources said so far various law enforcing and secret agencies had handed over 1,800 suspects or alleged militants to these internment centers. The concerned oversight boards would go for detailed reviews and scrutiny of these alleged militants and would make decisions regarding their future. The government has already placed the suspected militants in three categories. Militants in category A are already booked and facing trials while militants of category B and C are being shifted to internment centers. The B category suspects are likely to be produced before the court whereas the category C is likely to be freed after assurances or guarantees.
