Pakistani Prisons — A Hell within a Hell
What I Saw and Suffered During My Time of Imprisonment
By pastor Hector Aleem
Christians are severely persecuted in Pakistan. One method of persecution is to falsely accuse them of insulting Allah or the prophet Mohammad. Most of these accused are executed. Pastor Aleem is one of very few who has survived a false blasphemy case. Other methods of persecution is shooting at churches, undressing Christian women and parading them naked in the streets, raping Christian children, and forcefully kidnapping teenage Christian girls to force them into polygamous marriages with older Muslim men, which equals an automatic conversion to Islam. The courts regularly acknowledge such forced child marriages as “valid Nikkah marriage and valid conversion”. The girls are often forced to sign marriage documents and conversion documents. Their parents lives may be threatened.
Pastor Aleem Arrested on False Charges
In 2009, I was accused of a false blasphemy case and on the night of January 22, 2009, 150 policemen in both uniform and civil clothing raided my house, went inside the house by climbing the walls and breaking the doors, beat me, my wife and children, tore our clothes and dragged us out of the house, stole jewelry and other expensive things, broke some of them, arrested me and took me to an unknown place.
What happened to me from my time of arrest to the time when I was sent to prison is another story. Now I will tell you my experience during the 4 years of my time in prison. The jail where I spent these four years is called Adiala prison.
Introducing Adiala Prison
Adiala Prison is one of the largest correctional institutions in Pakistan — Adiala is located in the city of Rawalpindi (a twin city of Islamabad). Originally designed to house 2500 inmates it houses more than 5400 inmates. It occupies a large area but only 40% of the area is developed, so there is plenty of room for expansion. Cramped quarters, unhygienic living conditions, unpalatable food, inadequate healthcare facilities, absence of educational inducement, denial of religious freedom, routine torture, regular gang rape and sodomy both by wardens and hardened criminals, denial of visitation rights, confiscation of gifts and food from well-wishers are but some of regular issues.
You will find prisoners from every background doing time or awaiting court decision on pending charges. Sometimes the courts take years to pronounce judgment for crimes that carry minimum sentences, while the accused has already served more time than that which the court awards. The concept of maximum and minimum security does not exist, and prisoners serving long sentences are grouped together with prisoners serving minimum sentences for petty crimes. This has created an atmosphere of fear leading to exploitation of short-term prisoners by hardened criminals who have nothing to lose.
Compounding the situation, minors and youths share the same barracks with hardened criminals. Homosexuality is widespread resulting in diseases such as Hepatitis C, Syphilis and HIV/Aids. Prisoners from a background of poverty can not afford medical treatment for sexually transmitted diseases perpetrated by hardened criminals and the jailers too, resulting in agonizing deaths.
On 23 March, 2022 a 8 years old Christian boy named Suraj Masih was raped by a man named Muhammad Abaas.This happened in Chak 43 shumali, District Sargodha, Punjab — Pakistan. This incident happened on 23 March and police report was filed on 24 March. Police is favouring the rapist which is why they filed a report against an unknown person. But actually there are eye witnesses who saw Muhammad Abaas escaping after committing the act. Pray for Suraj Masih as he is going through mental and emotional trauma. Please share this post so more people can know how Christians are being persecuted in the worst possible way in Pakistan.
Barracks in Adiala prison are designed to house 36 inmates, but usually house up to 150 inmates, most simply sleeping on the floor. The stench in these barracks is overwhelming with some prisoners simply not bothering to use the toilets either located far away or unusable, once again due to the stench factor. Hierarchy prevails with cash laden prisoners allotted choice areas while poor prisoners shafted closer to the toilets. Subsequently prisoners establishing rapport with the jailers are given preferential treatment. They are exempt from doing any task, are provided quality food and other facilities by jailers who demand money for such services. To get gourmet meals one must fork out more money. For Rs. (rupees) 5000–10,000/- per month a prisoner can avoid work. But again, inmates accused or convicted of blasphemy are treated differently than normal prisoners. For them, life in jail is living hell and even money can’t buy them any facilities or privileges.
Adiala Prison is considered the model jail of Pakistan and is famous for its civilized conditions. If this is the condition of a civilized prison, then you can imagine the condition of other prisons of Pakistan.
Pastor Aleem is an Eyewitness
I have witnessed all this during my time I spent in Adiala prison, although things and circumstances were different for me as I was accused of a false blasphemy case, and I lived in solitary confinement. Initially, when I was brought to the prison, they put me into a place that was very near to the barracks. This place is called Chakar which means “circle” in English. I was able to see and witness everything from there. And sometimes when I was taken to the hospital or to the court for hearings, I witnessed all this and sometimes some inmates shared some of these with me. After one week, I was sent to the solitary confinement by the order of the court.
The Religious Factor of Treatment of Prisoners
Having taken care of the comfort aspect of human existence, let’s move on to the spiritual aspect. There is a Mosque within the campus that is open 24 hours a day. All devotees can access the mosque any time of the day and night. Beware though if you happen to be a non-Muslim. There is no Christian Church, Hindu Temple or other places of worship inside the campus. Muslim clergy can come and go as they please but clergy from other religions are barred from entering the campus. In the rare case when they are allowed, they normally must wait for hours before access is allowed to non-Muslim prisoners.
Christian youths are systematically coerced into embracing Islam by Islamic fanatics; those that resist live an antagonizing existence, facing regular discrimination, extra workload, belittlement, and both physical and psychological torture. Can any Muslim explain why it is necessary to forcibly shove Islam down the throat of non-Muslims? Holy Bibles are not allowed on the same racks used to store the Koran. Short of desecrating the Holy Bible every effort is made to make the lives of Christians a living hell. Those that succumb and embrace Islam get a reduction in their sentences and the proud event is announced on the Public Address (PA) system with much fanfare.
Torture Used as Coercion, Polygamy used as Bribery to Embrace Islam
I was also offered to accept Islam throughout these years. They started their offer by saying that there will be no beatings or harsh treatments if I accept Islam and that I will be able to spend the rest of my days in prison in peace and with many privileges. When I refused, I faced more discrimination, beatings, and mental and physical torture. After this they came back with a new offer, this time, they offered me young and beautiful Muslim girls in polygamous Nikkah marriage. I was told that I could have as many as I want and if I accept Islam, four of the prettiest will be my wives who will spend their lives till their death with me. The third time they came to me with all the riches, freedom, wives, and a lavish life after my freedom from prison. Every time I refused the offers, and I had to go through ever more dire consequences.
CHRISTIAN WOMAN RAPED AND PARADED NAKED ON THE STREETS IN PAKISTAN
This is a Christian woman in Punjab Province of Pakistan, she was raped by 4 men named Mian Muhammad Shakeel, Mian Muhammad Awais, Mian Muhammad Umaid and then they tore her clothes and paraded her naked on the streets. In the video she is taking the names of the perpetrators. Those men are influential and have jailed her husband and now she has no one. Police or other law enforcement agencies are not helping her because she is a Christian woman.That kind of incidents are very common in Pakistan. Recently in Islamabad city of Pakistan, a Christian wife and mother of 3 children was kidnapped and raped. It is time for the world to recognize the persecution of Christians. Pakistani Government does propaganda that Christians are living with freedom in that country which is a lie. The world must take strict action against Pakistan. Wake up world and Pray for Christians.
Family Visits to Christian Prisoners
Christmas and Easter visits by relatives of Christian prisoners are a nightmare. Gifts and consumables are either confiscated or handed over to the prisoners after bribe is paid to the jailers. The relatives of these prisoners also have to fork out money for extended visitation privileges. As I have been mentioning throughout this article, money buys everything for all those who are not accused or convicted of blasphemy, but those who are have to go through a lot of struggle, and must beg to see their family. On Christmas and Easter, my family tried to meet me and sometimes they were refused and sometimes they were allowed only 10 mins and even that was in the presence of two policemen. The meeting was through a thick iron net with tiny holes, and it was very difficult to see a person through that net. We were monitored strictly with no permission of talking about anything else other than family. My family wasn’t allowed to tell me about any news from outside the prison. And all the homemade food and some Christmas or Easter gifts from my family was rarely handed over to me, most of the time those gifts were kept by the police officers.
The Guards in Adiala Prison
Since we have covered the lifestyles of the prisoners let’s turn our attention to the jailers and their lifestyle. For starters jailers are meticulously selected from the cream of the police force. Only Muslim bigots, sadists and self-centered narcissists qualify for the job. On the job training includes how to whip prisoners, inflict the most severe beating, applying torture of both the physical and psychological kind, using unfair means and supplying contraband. All of them have one trait in common and that is, “Hate for Christians and Christianity”.
Though jailers’ monthly remuneration is pittance, lurks and perks of office are many. Most jailers earn five to 10 times their monthly salaries in the form of bribes, gratuity and sale of contraband. Perks also include free medical care, gourmet meals free of cost and any other facility you can imagine.
Superintendent and deputy superintendent of jail deny Christian prisoners any religious activities, including prayer sessions. The Christian prisoners, some of them having under graduate or post graduate academic qualifications are assigned janitorial duties simply because they were Christians. Those resisting such orders were warned of harsh punishment in the form of routine beating, torture and other inhumane acts if they did not toe the line. Those Christian prisoners that disobey such orders are beaten till they succumb to their injuries, The above-mentioned officials of Adiala Jail conveniently label such death in custody as ‘Suicide’ or “Heart Attack”. In the absence of post mortem investigations by a qualified pathologist, it is difficult to determine whether the prisoner died a natural or injury inflicted death. They order Christians to perform the dirtiest duties, like toilet washing and gutter cleaning, to humiliate them for their faith.
Other Christian prisoners who live in fear and cooperate with these officials by doing janitorial duties, are not provided adequate safety equipment. The concept of gloves and proper footwear is alien to the jailers` comprehension. Such prisoners develop various skin related diseases, eventually succumbing to their injuries, developing serious sickness or dying, without any compensation from the authorities to them or their families.
Torture of Christian Prisoners
Communication with the outside world is restricted to visits by friends and relatives, there is no public telephone system whereby prisoners can call home or communicate with the outside world. But a blasphemy accused/convict is not allowed any of these facilities whether they try to pay for it or not, because they spend time in solitary confinement. Many of the prisoners lose their mind (develop mental disorders — editors note), because of spending too many years in a small room with no one to talk to and with constant torture. I also spent my time in solitary confinement, in the cell called the “Death Cell” which is 9 foot long and 7 foot wide cell with a toilet in that same small room.
During my time in prison, the four years I spent in solitary confinement was in a death cell. I was not allowed to see my family or to go out for walks. Every time I went out was for hearings or to the torture cell to take the worst kind of beating.
They used to hang me upside down naked, beat me with a wooden stick until I passed out. They kept me hanged for 30 mins after passing out before they brought me back to my cell. They used wooden sticks and sometimes a self-made weapon, made up of a 4 to 5 inches wide piece of a car tire, at least one foot long with a wooden handle attached to the end. This causes real pain and is one of the worst forms of tortures in Pakistan. Punches and kicks were regular and a normal part of the torture. Sometimes they used waterboarding too. Sometimes, they made me lie down on a wooden bench with two men holding my legs and one man used to beat me on the bottoms of my feet. This is also another form of torture.
Besides this physical torture, I faced mental torture when they used dirty language to describe my wife and my children and described the things they would do to them. Sometimes they used to tell me that my family is also in their custody and they will beat them to death if I do not accept Islam.
These are two separate incidents. A 13 years old Christian girl named Nisha was raped by two men named Muhammad Nasir and Muhammad Bilal. This happened in District Patoki of Punjab Province in Pakistan. Police report was filed and both rapists are arrested. Nisha is under treatment, please pray for her as she went through mental and physical trauma. In another incident, Pooja Kumari (photo below) a 16 years old Hindu girl from Sukkur City of Sindh Province in Pakistan was murdered by a man named Wahid Baksh Lashari. He used to harass Pooja and used to ask her to marry him and convert to Islam. When she refused, he forcefully entered her home and tried to kidnap her. When she resisted, he shot her with a gun and murdered her in front of her parents. Pray for both victims and their families. Please share this post so more people can know how Christians and Hindus are being persecuted in the worst possible way in Pakistan.
Then there were times when I was denied any kind of food and sometimes, they made me eat a lot of good food and then keep me awake for days by flashing bright lights in my eyes or playing very loud music. They gave me good food to eat before that because when you eat with your stomach full, you feel sleepy and when one is too sleepy, it is even worse if you aren’t allowed to take a nap.
Prisoners convicted or accused of blasphemy not only face torture by police but are also in danger of getting killed by inmates. There are many cases of people getting killed inside the prison by the inmates or policemen and no authority questions these murderers, instead, it is appreciated that they killed a “blasphemer” (= Christian). I also faced death threats by other prisoners on my way to hearings, by lawyers, some of the judges and even a lay man who knew about my case. I was always scared during this time period that I might lose my mind because many of the prisoners went crazy or had lost their senses. They would have been better off in a mental institution, but they were still kept in the same solitary cell for years. And this is the reason I never lost my faith in God and I kept praying for my safety, the health of my brain and the safety of my family.
Bible Verses Saved the Mental Health of the Pastor
I was not allowed to have the Holy Bible in my cell, or any form of Christian literature. This was the time when I used to recite all the verses, psalms and parts of scriptures I memorized had by heart in my childhood, because my mother used to tell us to learn God’s word as we might face some days in the future when we will not have access to the Holy Scriptures. And I know that “The Word of God” saved me and gave me freedom.
Thankful to God
This time was the most difficult time for me and my family, and we will never forget what we went through, especially me, who faced the worst possible continuous torture during these years. I still remember when I came back home from prison. The days at home were difficult for me, as I was so weak that I could barely walk on my own. I needed support and my children, especially my son who was quite young at that time used to walk me to the toilet. As I spent most of the time in prison hungry or had irregular meals, it was difficult for me to also digest normal food. But I am thankful to my God that I never denied Him and that I never denied that Jesus Christ is His only Begotten Son.
