Abu Hannah
Slave of Allah
Saud Memon, a former Guantanamo inmate, died on Friday in a hospital in the southwestern Pakistani metropolis of Karachi, less than a month after being dumped by Pakistani intelligence agencies at a place near his Nazimabad residence.
"He died at around 2:40 p.m. at the Intensive Care Unit of the Liaquat National Hospital," his brother Mohammad Mehmood told OhmyNews by phone. In addition to other diseases, Memon was suffering from meningitis, tuberculosis (mental) and hepatitis B and breathing through a respirator.
The 45-year-old philanthropist was picked up by the United States' FBI in Pretoria, South Africa, in March 2003 while he was on a business tour. The remains of slain Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl had been found on barren land he owned in Gulshan Memar, Ehsanabad, along the superhighway.
Mehmood told OhmyNews that the American investigators failed to find any link between Memon and the plotters or killers of Pearl so he was handed over to Pakistani security agencies sometime in January 2006 in Karachi. Never officially arrested or detained he became one of the 150-plus "missing" persons held by Pakistani intelligence agencies without trial, which is the subject of a trial that has gained national attention
"On April 28, Saud was dumped at a place near his house in Karachi in an extremely critical condition," said Shaukat Siddiqui, a Supreme Court lawyer.
At the time of his death, the 5-foot-6-inch-tall Memon weighed but 18 kilograms (39.6 pounds). He could not walk, eat or even hold his head up. He could not identify his wife or children.
When the 44-year-old was brought before a Supreme Court bench on May 4 on a stretcher -- blank-eyed and drooling -- the judges ordered a medical checkup at any place of his family's choosing and sought the medical report.
"He looked mentally retarded and had generalized weakness … He could not remember any of his family members … Due to extreme weakness, he had developed digestion problems, so he was put on parenteral nutrition," a family doctor told OhmyNews from Karachi.
Affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court by Pakistani citizens who had been released by the intelligence agencies suggest that Memon was physically weak but without mental or psychological problems upon returning from American detention.
"Hafiz Saud was mentally very strong and used to recite the holy Quran regularly," recalls someone who knew Memon during their detention time in the custody of the intelligence agencies.
This correspondent could not speak to his aggrieved wife but one of his relatives said, "Saud was a loving father, caring husband and respectful son."
Memon had a reward of 3 million Pakistani rupees (approx. US$50,000) on his head in the Red Book of Pakistan's Interior Ministry -- its "most wanted" list.
When asked, Mehmood dispelled the impression that his brother was ever associated with any of the terrorist groups.
"[Daniel Pearl's] remains were left on his unattended, barren land but you cannot blame the landlord for his murder," he explained.
Mehmood said his deceased brother always showed generosity to the welfare of Muslim people and was associated with various trusts and even ran a free homeopathic clinic.
Meanwhile, Amina Masood, who is spearheading the missing persons case, said her life was under threat and she was not safe in her house.
"I am receiving abusive telephone calls and SMSs from various numbers and I am being threatened … for release of innocent citizens in illegal custody of intelligence agencies," Masood told OhmyNews by phone.
She alleged that her cell phone number has been blocked three times after receiving threatening calls.
"I feel that I am being watched and all my calls tapped. There are secret activities going on to harass and discourage me from pursuing the release of my husband and many other innocent people," Masood said in a depressed voice over the phone.
"I would request the Supreme Court to provide me security," she pleaded.
Masood has already sent the list of telephone numbers from which she received threatening calls to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for action. She said that she has not received any response yet. Her plea with the Interior Ministry's Crisis Management Cell has remained unattended.
The next Supreme Court hearing in the missing persons case is May 25.
"He died at around 2:40 p.m. at the Intensive Care Unit of the Liaquat National Hospital," his brother Mohammad Mehmood told OhmyNews by phone. In addition to other diseases, Memon was suffering from meningitis, tuberculosis (mental) and hepatitis B and breathing through a respirator.
The 45-year-old philanthropist was picked up by the United States' FBI in Pretoria, South Africa, in March 2003 while he was on a business tour. The remains of slain Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl had been found on barren land he owned in Gulshan Memar, Ehsanabad, along the superhighway.
Mehmood told OhmyNews that the American investigators failed to find any link between Memon and the plotters or killers of Pearl so he was handed over to Pakistani security agencies sometime in January 2006 in Karachi. Never officially arrested or detained he became one of the 150-plus "missing" persons held by Pakistani intelligence agencies without trial, which is the subject of a trial that has gained national attention
"On April 28, Saud was dumped at a place near his house in Karachi in an extremely critical condition," said Shaukat Siddiqui, a Supreme Court lawyer.
At the time of his death, the 5-foot-6-inch-tall Memon weighed but 18 kilograms (39.6 pounds). He could not walk, eat or even hold his head up. He could not identify his wife or children.
When the 44-year-old was brought before a Supreme Court bench on May 4 on a stretcher -- blank-eyed and drooling -- the judges ordered a medical checkup at any place of his family's choosing and sought the medical report.
"He looked mentally retarded and had generalized weakness … He could not remember any of his family members … Due to extreme weakness, he had developed digestion problems, so he was put on parenteral nutrition," a family doctor told OhmyNews from Karachi.
Affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court by Pakistani citizens who had been released by the intelligence agencies suggest that Memon was physically weak but without mental or psychological problems upon returning from American detention.
"Hafiz Saud was mentally very strong and used to recite the holy Quran regularly," recalls someone who knew Memon during their detention time in the custody of the intelligence agencies.
This correspondent could not speak to his aggrieved wife but one of his relatives said, "Saud was a loving father, caring husband and respectful son."
Memon had a reward of 3 million Pakistani rupees (approx. US$50,000) on his head in the Red Book of Pakistan's Interior Ministry -- its "most wanted" list.
When asked, Mehmood dispelled the impression that his brother was ever associated with any of the terrorist groups.
"[Daniel Pearl's] remains were left on his unattended, barren land but you cannot blame the landlord for his murder," he explained.
Mehmood said his deceased brother always showed generosity to the welfare of Muslim people and was associated with various trusts and even ran a free homeopathic clinic.
Meanwhile, Amina Masood, who is spearheading the missing persons case, said her life was under threat and she was not safe in her house.
"I am receiving abusive telephone calls and SMSs from various numbers and I am being threatened … for release of innocent citizens in illegal custody of intelligence agencies," Masood told OhmyNews by phone.
She alleged that her cell phone number has been blocked three times after receiving threatening calls.
"I feel that I am being watched and all my calls tapped. There are secret activities going on to harass and discourage me from pursuing the release of my husband and many other innocent people," Masood said in a depressed voice over the phone.
"I would request the Supreme Court to provide me security," she pleaded.
Masood has already sent the list of telephone numbers from which she received threatening calls to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for action. She said that she has not received any response yet. Her plea with the Interior Ministry's Crisis Management Cell has remained unattended.
The next Supreme Court hearing in the missing persons case is May 25.
