misses him. He lives in Rawalpindi where he works as a laborer. As Najibullah explained to JPP lawyers: When someone dies, you mourn them for three days and then you move on. You are at peace, knowing that they lived their lives fully and are now in the hands of God. We cannot be at peace for my brother. How do I know how he is really doing? How do I know when or if he will come back? To us, his fate is worse than death. 83 Most family members said they were concerned about the physical and mental state of their relatives in detention, including apparent weight loss and depression, which they say has been made worse by the uncertainty and lack of progress in their cases. Gul Nawaz is the brother of Abdul Jabbar, held since 2005. 84 Gul Nawaz leads a simple life, finding employment when and where he can. He says that, having seen his brother on videoconference calls, he is deeply troubled by his deteriorating mental and physical health condition: He has lost much weight while in detention and we have witnessed his condition worsen by the year […] Sometimes when I speak to him he forgets what he is talking about and then asks me what we were just discussing. I am very worried about his mental condition. Abdul Jabbar seems sad and worried. He sometimes says that he is angry at his detention. During our last phone call [November 2012], he appeared very weak […] I have not told the rest of my family how much weight he has lost. 85 Gul Muhammad’s son Kaleem has been detained since 2008. Years of detention have taken a visible toll on Kaleem and caused much anxiety for his family. “He has lost weight,” according to Gul Muhammad, “He used to be in good health, now he looks weak. He has lost all hair on his head but he has a full beard. I don’t think they have shaved his head. I think he has lost his hair because of the stress. Apart from that we have absolutely no idea how he is doing in detention.” 86 Many Pakistani detainees held at the DFIP have ill and aging parents back home. Parents worry and wonder whether they will ever see their child again before passing away. Kaleem disappeared from Pakistan in 2008 at the age of 14. Kaleem’s father sent him to their ancestral home in South Waziristan to collect their belongings in anticipation of another military offensive in the area; but he never returned. Wracked by grief and worry at his detention and unaware when he will come back, his parents’ health has deteriorated seriously. According to Gul Muhammad: My blood pressure is high. I need medication but I cannot buy any because I do not have enough money and I have no time to go to a government hospital. […] My wife was crying every day during Ramadan and praying desperately for his return. Her health has deteriorated severely. She was fasting every day for 4 years, hoping for our son to come back. She has diabetes and is losing sight in her eyes. She needed an operation in one of her eyes for which I could barely pay. 87 83 Justice Project Pakistan conversation with Najibullah, October 2012 (real name, location withheld). Justice Project Pakistan interview with Gul Nawaz, December 2012 (real name, location withheld). 85 Ibid. 86 Justice Project Pakistan interview with Gul Muhammad, December 2012 (real name, location withheld). 87 Ibid. 84 25