LANDI KOTA L: Relatives of four truck drivers, who have been in the custody of Afghan authorities, have appealed to the government to help secure their release as one of the arrested drivers had already died due to `excessive torture`.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, Gohar Ali Shinwari said his father Yadullah Shinwari was an employee with a logistics company who went missing along with four other coworkers when they were on way from Kabul to Peshawar via the Torkham Highway some four months bacl(.

`After weeks of extensive search in Afghanistan, we were told that the missing drivers were in the custody of Afghan intelligence agencies and were arrested on charges of spying,` Gohar Ali said with a choked voice.

He said that Afghan authorities handed over one of the arrested drivers, Niamatullah, to Pakistani border authorities at Torkham a few days back in a very critical condition.

`The man was brutally tortured during incarceration that died days after his release in a local hospital, he said.

Mr Shinwari accused the Afghan intelligence agencies of torturing his father as well and said his father had lost his eyesight due to severe beating. He said the Afghan authorities denied him a meeting with his father and other arrested drivers who were also suf fering from injuries due to third degree torture.

Mr Ali Shinwari said they also met with the company management but they showed no interest in release the arrested persons.

He appealed to the army chief and the prime minister to take up the issue with the Afghan government so that the innocent Pakistani nationals languishing in Afghan jails could be safely released.