Party says Waheed Shiekh, died ‘in custody due to torture, ill treatment’
A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who was in custody, died during treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Sunday, party and hospital officials confirmed.
“Mohammed Waheed was brought at the JPMC for treatment from Central Prison on July 22. He expired today (Sunday) during treatment in the medical intensive care unit,” said Dr Seemi Jamali, head of the emergency department of the hospital.
The senior doctor added the patient was suffering from “necrotising fasciitis, uncontrollable sugar level, septic shock and acute myo-cardial infraction.”
An official source in the JPMC’s medico-legal section said that no autopsy was carried out as neither the family nor the jail administration or police asked for it.
“There were no torture marks, he was a diabetic patient who had suffered foot injuries and his health deteriorated,” added the source.
However, the MQM alleged in their press statement that their worker, Waheed Shiekh, died “in custody due to torture and ill treatment by law enforcement agency.”
The party claimed that Sindh Rangers had arrested Shiekh on March 17 during a raid at the MQM office in Shah Faisal Colony.
“After badly torturing Waheed Shiekh for days during illegal detention, Rangers transferred him to Central Jail, Karachi,” claimed the party in the statement released.
“Mr Shiekh, a diabetic patient with various health issues, never recovered from torture and his health condition kept deteriorating in prison,” further alleged the statement.
The statement said he was eventually transferred to the JPMC two weeks ago but could never recover as “it was too little too late.”
The MQM alleged that Mr Shiekh’s death was “extrajudicial murder” of an innocent person who was subjected to “illegal and inhuman treatment by Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies, including Rangers and prison authorities.”
The party also held the provincial government “equally responsible’ for Shiekh’s “untimely and unwarranted death in custody” as it has consistently failed to provide justice to MQM and its workers, added the statement.
Earlier in May, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif ordered an inquiry into the death of MQM activist Aftab Ahmed, who died in the custody of Rangers paramilitary force under controversial circumstances.