No one allowed to torture prisoners: Badr

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): No one is allowed to impose punishment or torture on inmates, says a senior prison official.

Habibullah Badr, the military deputy head of the Prisons Correctional Institution held out the assurance at a graduation ceremony.

More than 50 prisoners in southeastern Paktia province completed religious and vocational education programmes.

He said certain intelligence circles were spreading rumors that prisoners in Afghanistan were being subjected to various forms of torture.

But the official stressed the claims were far from true. "The Prison Affairs Reform Department does not allow anyone to impose punishments, penalties, or torture on prisoners. We have issued this directive across Afghanistan."

Paktia central prison chief Maulvi Sohail Saeed said inmates were provided religious and modern education, as well as vocational training opportunities.

He added 51 individuals had graduated from religious and vocational education programmes.

Meanwhile, prisoner Rahmanullah said the jail offered learning opportunities in fields of tailoring, carpentry, computer repairs, religious and modern education.

He also appealed to courts to consider reducing the sentences of those who have graduated from the educational programmes.

sa/mud