Whitehall colluded in torture of British suspects

London, Feb.17 (ANI): A British court here has been told that British terrorist suspects were tortured in Pakistan under rules drawn up in Whitehall.

According to the British Home Office, an inquiry has been launched into claims that UK intelligence services colluded in the brutal treatment of British citizens and residents in Pakistan.

The Independent says in its report that last night it emerged that an MI5 officer told the High Court an official policy existed over the questioning of suspects by Pakistani authorities. MI5 lawyers and government figures agreed to it, he said.

The disclosure comes as the officer, known only as Witness B, was cross-examined over the case of Binyam Mohamed, the British resident held in Guantanamo Bay.

Mohamed claims he was hung from leather straps, beaten and threatened with a gun by Pakistani officers before being questioned by MI5. Other UK-based detainees have alleged UK officers turned a blind eye to their treatment in Pakistan.

The Guardian says that interrogation policy "was directed at a high level within Whitehall and has been further developed since Mohamed's detention in Pakistan". (ANI)