From Death Cell

In the Letter to the Editor section of 15th July's Daily Dawn, I read a very lamentable yet courageous story of a guy who has been waiting to be hanged for the crime which, he said, he never did. On the same time he is pursuing education and excelling in the course. Here is the complete letter, written by himself, that appeared in the paper(can also be read at http://epaper.dawn.com and http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/15/letted.htm).

"IT IS said that the 'death cell' is the last stop/destination for any human being, where you stare death in the face or more appropriately death stares you in the face every day and causes you sleepless night. People say you are what your surroundings make you, but citing my personal example and experience, I would say: your surroundings are how you see them.

In the last more than five years, I have spent in what is called the “grave of living dead”, I often considered myself to be living in the hostel of a university. I was 17 years old and just matriculate when I landed in jail after being falsely implicated in a blind murder case.

For me, jail proved to be a college as I did intermediate when my case was under trial; and the death cell literally turned into a university as first I did my bachelors in political science and law and this year I got my master’s degree in international relations and managed to secure seventh position in Hazara University.

Having personal experience of living in the death cell, I cannot but admire the wonderful writing of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto which he penned from the death cell in much worse circumstances than those which I had to endure.

I hope you will give some space to my small achievement in your prestigious newspaper as an inspiration for others who are passing through difficult times in life."

Sohail Fida
Death Cell No. 19,
Central Prison,
Haripur