KARACHI, Jan 16: A leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has handed a letter written by the party’s chief Nawaz Sharif to the secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Iqbal Haider, to pass it to Akhtar Mengal, chief of his own faction of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), who is in solitary confinement in the Karachi Central Prison.

PML-N additional secretary, information, Sardar Rahim, on Tuesday called on Mr Haider and handed him the letter, requesting him to give it to Mr Mengal at the next hearing of a case against him inside the prison.

Mr Mengal faces charges of taking hostage and torturing two government officials.

Mr Rahim said the letter had been handed over to the HRCP official because the anti-terrorism court judge concerned had allowed a representative of the commission to observe the trial.

“Similar letters written by our leader are being delivered to other political leaders and civil society representatives to develop consensus for making collective efforts to rid Pakistan of present social and political crises,” said Mr Rahim,.

He said the letter also contained an invitation for the conference being held by the PML-N in London in this regard.

“We have already condemned his arrest and our leader has expressed his solidarity with Mr Mengal again for his party’s important role in the political milieu of Pakistan,” said Mr Rahim.

Mr Haider reiterated that Mr Mengal, a former chief minister of Balochistan, had been forced to sit in an iron cage away from his counsel and he had been denied basic amenities in a solitary cell of the prison.