MP demands 'Britons tortured' probe

John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, and Andrew Tyrie, Conservative member for Chichester, have called for the claims of abuse to be examined by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which oversees MI5 and MI6.

The Home Office insisted MI5 agents "do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or inhumane or degrading treatment".

But accounts of three UK citizens who say they were detained and tortured in Pakistan with the knowledge of British officials have prompted MPs to call for an investigation.

Mr McDonnell said a medical student from his constituency alleges he was held for two months in 2005 in the offices of Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau opposite the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi.

The man described how he was beaten, deprived of sleep, threatened with execution and saw other inmates being tortured. He said he was questioned by British officials before being released.

Mr McDonnell said: "I've been dealing with my constituent's case since he first went missing in Pakistan. The British and Pakistani authorities denied all knowledge of him being detained. We subsequently discovered he had been detained and tortured and was later interviewed by British intelligence."

He continued: "I want this issue exposed and then I want a statement from the Prime Minister on what the Government will do to address it."

A second Briton, Tariq Mahmood, a taxi driver from Sparkbrook, Birmingham, said he was imprisoned and tortured before being released without charge and flown to the UK. He alleges MI5 and the US intelligence services were aware of the abuse, according to the Guardian,

Tahir Shah, an author from London, claims to have been interrogated about the July 7 bombings in what he says was a "fully-equipped torture chamber" during 16 days in 2005. He does not allege that British officials were involved, but believes it is unlikely they would not have been informed.