- ISLAMABAS (IRNA) -- Mohammad
Sagheer, the first Pakistani to be freed from the American prison in Guantanamo,
Cuba, awaits American response to his call for compensation, saying his
business had been destroyed because of his "illegal detention".
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- "My wood cutter machine has been faulty for a year
and I have no money to repair it," the poverty-stricken Sagheer told
IRNA in an exclusive interview at his home village of Patan on the Karakuram
Highway, which connects Pakistan and China.
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- Thousands of people have visited and greeted 51-year-old
Sagheer since he was allowed by Pakistani officials to go home on November
4.
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- "Yes, I am happy to be with my family and the people,"
he said. "My family thought that I am dead. I believed that I would
be released as I was innocent," he said.
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- "I am not a rich man. I am not a leader but even
then the people come to express sympathy with me," he said.
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- He said his family had taken one million rupees in loans
to search for him and "now we do not have the money to repay the loans".
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- Pakistani officials in Islamabad told him on return that
he would be given 2000 dollars in compensation. "But I have been given
only one hundred dollars," Sagheer said.
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- Recounting days of his captivity, Sagheer said his beard,
mustache and hair were shaved forcibly before boarding a plane in Kandahar.
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- "The early days in Cuba were very difficult. The
Americans did not allow us to give call for prayers (Azan) and to offer
prayers. They beat the prisoners and held them from neck when they gave
call to prayers.
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- "Some Arabs were beaten so badly that they fell
unconscious and were taken to hospital," he added.
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- He said that the soldiers had to give prisoners 10 minutes
to finish meal and would take away the food after ten minutes. "We
protested it and went on hunger strike. Then they allowed us call to prayers
and to offer prayers and extended eating time up to 30 minutes".
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- Sagheer said Americans held those who spit at the soldiers
in a a special room, which they called "India block".
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- "Once I was taken to India block for solitary confinement.
The block had cells, which were enclosed from four sides. They pump severe
cold air into it to punish the prisoners."
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- About interrogation, Sagheer said, "Two interrogators
and one translator interrogate the people. They always ask the prisoners
why and how they went to Afghanistan. (They ask) where is Osama bin Laden
(and if) they know any al-Qaeda man among the Guantanamo prisoners.
-
- "They show prisoners photos and ask them if they
know any of them," he said, adding the interrogation was always conducted
while four sets of chains were put around the prisoner's body.
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- Asked about his feelings when he was informed about his
release, he said, "I laughed when the new American general -- a sergeant
-- and several soldiers along with a translator came to my cage and told
me that I would be freed and sent to Pakistan".
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- "Then I was shifted to a room from the cage. Three
Afghans were also brought there. We were kept for almost 12 days there
which had a TV set and VCRs.
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- Sagheer was arrested by the forces loyal to Afghan warlord
General Abdul-Rashid Dostam in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz where
he was for propagation.
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- "I was among 250 people, who were shifted to Shiberghan
in containers. At least 50 were killed due to suffocation," he said.
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- "Then we were shifted to Kandahar. After few days
we were put in a truck at the Kandahar airport and then we boarded a plane.
I was blindfolded. My hands and legs were tied, my mouth was gagged and
my ears shut. I did not know where I was being taken. We were given an
apple in a plane.
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- "Later they gave bread and another apple. The plane
landed apparently for fuel," Sagheer went on to say. He said the American
soldiers told the prisoners that they had been shifted to Cuba after the
plane landed.
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- http://www.irna.com/en/head/021115003617.ehe.shtml
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