Five months of Pakistani journalist in Jalalabad prison - XI
Faizullah Khan was detained by Afghan authorities in eastern Nangarhar province in April 2014.
Part - 11: (Intriguing account of a Pakistani journalist captured in Afghanistan for interview of Taliban leadership)
Read Part - 10 here: Five months of Pakistani journalist in Jalalabad prison – X
As soon as the talk shows ended, everyone prepared to sleep. Due to intense heat most of the Taliban members slept in the compound. I also chose that place to take rest. This was my first experience of sleeping in open air and it was quite unique. As I was exhausted to a great deal, I slept in no time.
Suddenly I woke up in the middle of the night with a sense of pain in all my body. In a rush I examined my wrists in light of my mobile phone on which I found small red pimples at various places. These were due to the dangerous mosquitoes found in that area from which it was difficult to get rid of. This was an extremely annoying situation. I spent rest of the night awake and killing the mosquitoes.
I sent photos of Landi Kotal to my family through Whatsapp and also informed my Director News Emad Yousaf and Bureau SM Shakeel that I was doing well and will return within a week. I also told them that my phone will be switched off during this time. At that time I did not have the slightest idea that this one week will be longer than five months.
In the morning my hosts taunted me and inquired whether the mosquitoes bothered me or not? I replied that they not even bothered me but also made the night miserable for me. Everyone started to laugh and said that this is one of the troubles that they face here but they are now use to it.
However, this place is better than spending the night in the mountains.
After Fajr, a small address use to be held after which most of the Taliban members went for exercise. I am a person of lazy nature so I preferred to take rest.
Next day had started. Internet facility was available in the media centre. I sent photos of Landi Kotal to my family through Whatsapp and also informed my Director News Emad Yousaf and Bureau SM Shakeel that I was doing well and will return within a week. I also told them that my phone will be switched off during this time. At that time I did not have the slightest idea that this one week will be longer than five months.
TTP’s media centre was comprised of a big compound. There were three rooms with a very extensive courtyard, all built with mud and stones.
To increase the beauty of the rooms, bed sheets were placed on the walls. As electricity could not be wholly provided in Afghanistan, the people living there used alternate system. A glimpse of it also appeared in the media centre where powerful solar system was installed to ensure 24-hour provision of electricity. In one part of the wide compound, toilet and wash room were built whereas a hand-pump was also present to drive out water. Cars of TTP members were also present in that compound.
In one room, a big TV screen was fixed where Pakistani TV channels were monitored with the help of dish and reports and talk shows were recorded according to necessity. In the second room, videos made for TTP were edited whereas the third room was used for the recording of those videos. All these three rooms were also used for relaxing purpose.
The compound was the property of TTP which they had bought for Rs60 lac. Old carpets were laid in the rooms whereas floor seats and old sofas were placed simultaneously.
In one room, a big TV screen was fixed where Pakistani TV channels were monitored with the help of dish and reports and talk shows were recorded according to necessity. In the second room, videos made for TTP were edited whereas the third room was used for the recording of those videos. All these three rooms were also used for relaxing purpose.
The village was very quiet and peaceful. Especially at night, twinkling stars on the clear sky gave a feeling of universe’s beauty.
Members of TTP media wing sometimes use to practice marksmanship in the compound whereas in the evening arrangements were made to play volley ball. Some of the TTP members slaughtered a goat for my hospitality. Usually our food came from Ehsanullah Ehsan’s house in which there was mostly rice and chicken.
I also witnessed an interesting scene when Ehsanullah arrived in the compound carrying a basket filled with rotis and then invited us to eat them.
Ten to twelve people lived in the media compound in which one was Afghani and rest belonged to different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two of the men were certified clerics but despite of my inquiry they didn’t told me the name of their madrassah. Usually they use to study books, lead the prayers and take part in evening volley ball matches. Meanwhile, TTP commanders of the military and other centers from the area come to meet them.
Read the Urdu version here: Five months in Jalalabad prison
