Five months of Pakistani journalist in Jalalabad prison - II
Faizullah Khan was detained by Afghan authorities in eastern Nangarhar province in April 2014.
Part - 2: (Intriguing account of a Pakistani journalist captured in Afghanistan for interview of Taliban leadership)
Read Part - 1 here: Five months of Pakistani journalist in Jalalabad prison - I
A police official opened the lock up door and ordered us to step outside the cell. A ray of hope developed inside me that a contact has been made for our freedom.
The intelligence official who brought us here was standing outside with his armed men. He directed one of his officer to search us.
“Raise your both hands and stand while keeping distance between your feet,” the official spoke these words to us in a robotic manner. I acted upon his directions immediately.
He checked me out completely in a quick manner and also searched my hair while taking off my socks and shoes.
My heart began to beat fast as they had found my hidden USB which later became the reason for my sentence.
The two Taliban members also went through the search process but nothing was recovered except money as they had skilfully hid the memory card containing Jihadi literature into their shoe which the intelligence officials could not find despite of their brainpower.
However; my mobile phone, money, identity documents were in the possession of the officials.
It was evening now and the lock up was plunged into absolute darkness.
The Taliban members sitting on another bed were continuously murmuring something. The only thing they said to me was to pray to Allah and assured me that we will be freed soon.
The officials took us out of the cell at the time of Maghrib and locked us again after ablution. We offered both Maghrib and Esha in the lockup on the prayer mat provided to us by the Afghan officers.
I was not a regular worshipper but this time while praying I found contentment and gratification which was never felt before. After Esha an official brought food for us but we ate hardly in the existence of such a tense environment.
With the passage of few moments the intelligence official who arrested us alongwith another man entered the cell holding a powerful torch.
He pointed the torch towards us and said, “So you are those people who came here to destroy our country. You will have to pay a big price for it and if you are a journalist even then we hate you for the reason that you people are Pakistanis.”
This short conversation of the officer alongwith his face full of hatred were giving me quite an understanding. The two officers left after saying this to us.
I came across some of the most dangerous mosquitos in the lock up. Blood was coming out from both my arms as they had bitten me so hardly but I was coping with this situation with extreme patience and was sure that I will get out of this prison soon due to the blessings of Allah and prayers of my families.
Somehow in between sleeping and waking, the night passed. I had now became used to the conditions after spending 17 to 18 hours in the horrified lock up.
Next morning at 9 o’ clock we were asked to come out of the cell. The two Taliban members Waqas and Waqar who belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) said to me that maybe our release orders have been issued by the authorities. Both of them were extremely happy.
Waqar joked with the police official at which he responded angrily but said nothing. I saw a hand pump in the large compound and seeked permission from the police official to wash my hands and face on which he nodded his head.
We drank water and got fresh after which we were seated in a small room which looked as if official affairs are delat in it.
Read the Urdu version here: Five months in Jalalabad prison
