An Afghan Islamic cleric who died in custody in Pakistan on Wednesday had signs of torture on his body, an intelligence official said.
| Wow, look at that meter bounce! Oh, sorry, just a power surge. |
| In Pakland, y'say? Signs of torture? When did that start? |
Pakistani security forces arrested Qari Mohammad Noor along with three associates last week in a raid on an Islamic school, or madrassah, in the central city of Faisalabad. Intelligence officials said Noor, who was suspected of helping al Qaeda members find accommodation in Faisalabad, died in police detention and an autopsy found he had wounds on his body. "He has signs of torture and wounds on his body," one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
| I'm shocked, shocked that this could happen in a Muslim country! |
A statement from Faisalabad police chief Abid Saeed said Noor was brought to a hospital on Wednesday where "apparently he died of heart failure."
| The "heart failure", would that be cause or effect? |
| When you die, your heart... ummm... fails. |
"A joint team (of police and other security agencies) is conducting investigation into the mysterious death" said the statement carried by official APP news agency.
| No hurry, I'm sure they have a lot of pressing things to do. |
Saeed earlier told Reuters that Noor was suspected of involvement in "anti-state activities." He gave no other details. The statement said a three-member medical board conducted an autopsy and its final report was being awaited. It said Noor was an Afghan national.
| Who are well known for dropping dead. |
| I think I read somewhere that the majority of all the Afghans who ever lived are dead... |
Noor was arrested as part of a crackdown launched since the arrest in Pakistan last month of an al Qaeda computer expert, Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan. Khan has proved a key source of information on the identity of operatives from Osama bin Laden's organization and its plans to launch attacks on British and U.S. targets.
| ... which could account for the fact that he hasn't had heart failure yet... |
His arrest has led to the detention of more than 60 suspected militants in Pakistan. News of Noor's death came as Pakistan published pictures of six "most wanted terrorists" on Wednesday, and offered $340,000 each for information leading to the arrest of two militants wanted for assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf. A large number of al Qaeda men are thought to be hiding in Pakistan's rugged tribal region, near the Afghan border, or in major cities after fleeing the U.S.-led war on terror waged in Afghanistan in the wake of Sept 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.
| So, did Qari die because he wouldn't talk, or because he did? |
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