Author Topic: Pakistan: police free chained students  (Read 1625 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens
Pakistan: police free chained students
« on: December 13, 2011, 08:57:38 PM »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16157177

Quote
A number of the students appear to have been involved in drugs or petty crime.

Some parents paid substantial amounts to enrol their children at the seminary and correspondents say that in some cases parents actually applied the chains which imprisoned their children.

Many parents had left their children at the madrassa for treatment, believing that the harsh regime would aid rehabilitation - some of these parents told the BBC they were happy with the result. They say they were chained to prevent them for escaping.

"If a child has issues such as bad company, smoking and drugs then we have no choice but to get him admitted in such places," Mohammed Qasim, the father of one student, told the BBC.

Full article:

Pakistan: Karachi police free chained students
Advertisement

Footage of people chained inside the religious school
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories

    * Pupil describes reign of terror
    * Pakistan madrassas 'pose no risk'
    * Fighting for the Taliban militants

About 50 students have been freed from a religious school in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, where some were being kept in chains, officials say.

The male students, some as young as 12, were reportedly beaten, deprived of food and kept in what police say amounted to a torture chamber.

Some parents paid for their children to attend the school known as the "jail madrassa" because their sons were addicted to drugs or involved in crime.

An inquiry has already been ordered.

At least two people helping run the madrassa have been arrested, but the head escaped, police said.
Continue reading the main story
Babar Khan

    * Rescued pupil describes reign of terror

The BBC Urdu Service's Hasan Kazmi saw the rescued people in a police station several hours after the raid. They were still in chains because police could not find the keys.

'Parents applied chains'

Students have described the brutal regime inside the seminary - some spoke to the media while still wearing their chains.

One said he was beaten 200 times, while another said they were told they would be sent to join the jihad and if they tried to escape they would get 200 lashes.

"I was kept in the basement for the past month and was kept in chains. They also tortured me severely during this period. I was beaten with sticks," student Mohi-ud-Din told Reuters news agency.

Our correspondent met one teenager who said they were forced to study all hours. "We were not provided proper food or clothing," he said.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad

The chaining of victims in private jails run by influential feudal lords is not unheard of in Pakistan, and there have also been examples of drug addicts being chained by some rehabilitation centres to prevent them from escaping.

But the discovery of chained students of a religious seminary who claim they were being motivated to join the ranks of Taliban has come as a shock. These claims are still being verified as there seems to be no evidence of any weapons training being given there.

Locally, the madrassa appears to have had a reputation of being a faith-based centre for rehabilitation of drug addicts and juvenile criminals, and it charged substantial fees.

It was known in the area as the "Jail Madrassa" due to its harsh treatment methods, including chaining and corporal punishment.

One boy said Taliban members had visited the seminary and told them to "prepare for battle".

"Every possibility including its involvement in militancy will be investigated," Sharfuddin Memon, home affairs spokesman for Sindh province told AFP news agency.

A number of the students appear to have been involved in drugs or petty crime.

Some parents paid substantial amounts to enrol their children at the seminary and correspondents say that in some cases parents actually applied the chains which imprisoned their children.

Many parents had left their children at the madrassa for treatment, believing that the harsh regime would aid rehabilitation - some of these parents told the BBC they were happy with the result. They say they were chained to prevent them for escaping.

"If a child has issues such as bad company, smoking and drugs then we have no choice but to get him admitted in such places," Mohammed Qasim, the father of one student, told the BBC.

'Torture and abuse'

The captives were found during a police raid on the seminary in the central Sohrab Goth district of Karachi late on Monday, police said.

One media report says the police received a tip-off that the head of the seminary kept students chained in the basement and subjected them to torture and abuse.

"Those recovered are aged between 12 and 50 and are mainly of Pashtun ethnicity," Gadap Town police superintendent Rao Anwar told Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper.

At least 18 of those rescued were aged 20 or younger, another police official told AFP.

There are thousands of madrassas in Pakistan providing education for more than two million students, some estimates say.

But officials suspect that there are many unregistered and unregulated seminaries and in some areas these represent the only affordable educational option for children of poor families.

There have been a few instances where students have been mistreated in such seminaries, but an incident on this scale and in such a major city is rare, correspondents say.

Some Islamic schools in Pakistan are accused of being training camps for militants, but while police say they are investigating such links in the Karachi school, they suggest that the primary reason students were left there was for rehabilitation.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2011, 08:59:51 PM »
In sidebar of above article:

Analysis
M Ilyas Khan BBC News, Islamabad

The chaining of victims in private jails run by influential feudal lords is not unheard of in Pakistan, and there have also been examples of drug addicts being chained by some rehabilitation centres to prevent them from escaping.

But the discovery of chained students of a religious seminary who claim they were being motivated to join the ranks of Taliban has come as a shock. These claims are still being verified as there seems to be no evidence of any weapons training being given there.

Locally, the madrassa appears to have had a reputation of being a faith-based centre for rehabilitation of drug addicts and juvenile criminals, and it charged substantial fees.

It was known in the area as the "Jail Madrassa" due to its harsh treatment methods, including chaining and corporal punishment.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2011, 09:03:13 PM »
Linked article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16167602

Rescued Karachi pupil describes reign of terror
Babar Khan Babar Khan said that he was regularly beaten up at the religious school
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories

    * Chained Pakistan students freed

Pakistani authorities have announced an inquiry after police freed about 50 students who had been detained, some in chains, at a religious school in Karachi. The BBC Urdu Service's Hasan Kazmi met Babar Khan, one of those rescued, at a police station several hours after the raid.

Babar Khan, 16, spent nine months in the "jail school".

Originally from Karachi, he was taken there by his parents because he would not go to school.

"We were not able to see the sun or the moon for several days at a stretch," he said.

"We were kept in an underground room while small kids were kept on the first storey with chains.

"The last time I had tea was several months back. They would serve us dinner after midnight. But that too would be in small portions.

"Mostly the food was lentils with lots of water and no salt or spices. The students used to fight over bread. This too when my parents were paying them 8,000 rupees [about $90; £58] a month in fees.

"I was beaten up the first day after my parents left me here.

"We were allowed to talk to our families once a month on the telephone or [have] one visit a month from family members.

"They told us not to talk about our status with them.

"Before any visit, they would let us have a bath and wear clean clothes.

"A school worker was made to sit with us to listen to our conversations.

"They warned us we could meet bitter treatment if we told our parents about it.

"But they never gave us any training in weapons or anything like that.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Oscar

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1650
  • Karma: +4/-0
    • View Profile
    • Secret Prisons for Teens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2011, 09:34:01 AM »
Religion and chains go in hand.

In this video from Sudan you can see shackles about 5:20 into the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKPHrjlBhTk

In in our own backyard we know the story from Reclamation Ranch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTN84GswP_U
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline cmack

  • Posts: 236
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2011, 11:32:46 AM »
Outrageous, but unfortunately not a lot different than some of the stuff that goes on here.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2011, 02:07:11 PM »
Thanks for the links, Oscar! I've reposted the Sudan one to reddit, will do the same for Reclamation Ranch....but, what was the outcome of the raid?

Yeah, cmack, it's amazing how similar the Pakistani program is to all the others.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Oscar

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1650
  • Karma: +4/-0
    • View Profile
    • Secret Prisons for Teens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2011, 03:32:08 PM »
Quote from: "Reddit TroubledTeens"
Thanks for the links, Oscar! I've reposted the Sudan one to reddit, will do the same for Reclamation Ranch....but, what was the outcome of the raid?

Yeah, cmack, it's amazing how similar the Pakistani program is to all the others.

As for the Reclamation Ranch he got some followers to make a protest in front of the court house so it looked like the program had local support. He ran a blog where he ranted against the government for their attack on Gods work. He was later fined. The webpage of the Ranch is down right now but words are that he is working to create a new program in a new state. Unless his unhealthy diet kills him off he could be back in business any minute.

The girl academy which went under the name of Rachel Academy is also off the Internet. We are looking for what Trudy Allred the boss of the girls operation is up to at the moment. She should be easily spotted in the landscape due to her size, but we havn't found her yet.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 312
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens
Re: Pakistan: police free chained students
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2011, 05:34:20 PM »
Thanks for the add'l info, Oscar. Ugh, a fine. Of course no jail time. I'll keep my eyes open for him & Trudy.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »