UK MPs Urge Probe Into Muslims Torture

"We conclude that it is extremely important that the veracity of allegations that the Government has 'outsourced' interrogation techniques involving the torture of British nationals by Pakistani authorities should be investigated," the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said in its annual human rights report.

The call followed charges that British Muslims have been turned over to the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) so they can be tortured during interrogation.

A number of British Muslims complained that they were arrested and tortured with the full knowledge of British diplomats and intelligence officers.

In one of the cases, a medical student was abducted at gunpoint in August 2005 and held for two months in the offices of Pakistan's intelligence bureau in Karachi.

He says he was tortured by Pakistani agents and later questioned over the 7/7 2005 attacks on the London transport network.

Five other men have made similar allegations.

The parliamentary report said it is "extremely important" the claims of the so-called "outsourcing" of torture are cleared up.

"We also recommend that the Government should further tell us whether it was aware of all six individuals at the time of their detention, and whether intelligence or evidence gained by the Pakistani authorities in its interrogation of any of these men led in whole, or in part, to further investigations or charges in the UK.

"We further recommend that the Government should describe its collaboration with the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, and its human rights concerns about this organization."

Under Britain's Criminal Justice Act, it is an offence for officials to instigate or consent to the inflicting of "severe pain or suffering" on any person, anywhere in the world, or even to acquiesce in such treatment.

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