Blighted youth in Peshawar jail

By Masud Alam BBC Urdu service

In the second of his articles on Pakistan's prisons, Masud Alam of the BBC Urdu service looks at the plight of a young detainee in Peshawar.

In the child barracks of Peshawar jail, boys are watching a music programme on TV after lunch.

Haider says he was sent here for stealing a goat and a calf

Most of the prisoners here are aged between 14 and 16, while a few are even younger.

Among them is Haider Khan who seems more desolate and bewildered than the other prisoners.

Haider is the youngest prisoner in this jail.

He is 12 years old and has not yet settled into his new life in prison.

He has been here for a week and in that time his brothers have only been to visit him once.

His father has died and his mother works in other people's homes to earn a living.

Hope for education

His home is in Charsadda, 20km (12 miles) north of Peshawar, and he says he was brought to jail accused of stealing a goat and a calf.

He says that an old man asked him to take the animals and in return had offered him money.

Children play outside the jail as Haider is locked inside

When he got caught the old man ran away and Haider took the blame.

"The animals have now been returned to their owners and my family has resolved all differences but I am still in jail," Haider says.

"My case is still going on. I confessed to stealing at the first hearing because I was badly beaten here in jail and was told to do so. Now I regret why I did such a thing."

Haider wants to educate himself in order to be able to work hard and earn a living for himself.

He has four brothers, two of whom are older than him and work in the city.

They promised to visit him again but have not returned. Perhaps they are busy with their work.

Haider has no complaints about the bigger boys of the child barracks.

"They don't harm me and actually look after me too, sometimes bringing me fruit to eat. But I miss my mother a lot," he says.

At this point, his eyes water and the strength seems to leave his little body.