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Adiala Jail: A ‘hell’ for prisoners
Khalid Iqbal
Rawalpindi
The overcrowded Adiala Jail is becoming a ‘hell’ for prisoners as they are facing a multitude of problems, including unhygienic food, shortage of water and space in addition to power outages, ‘The News’ learnt here on Friday.
A visit to the prison revealed that a large number of prisoners were continuously vomiting as they were suffering from abdominal problems due to intake of unhygienic food.
People interviewed by ‘The News’ outside the Adiala Jail complained that they were facing difficulties in delivering necessary items of daily use to their imprisoned relatives because the prison staff demanded their full share.
Adiala Jail Deputy Superintendent Malik Muhammad Feroz told ‘The News’ that the prison was overcrowded. He said that at present there were 5,800 prisoners in jail. According to him, the prison has a capacity to house 1,996 inmates only. “More than 100 prisoners are put in a single room meant for 36 inmates. For this reason, prisoners face shortage of water and other necessities of life,” he said.
The jail superintendent said that prisoners have been facing power outages for the last few days because of a fault in the main supply line. He said that there was an acute shortage of water due to frequent power outages. “Though the prison administration is trying hard yet it is impossible for it to provide hygienic food to 5,800 prisoners,” he added.
He said “There is shortage of staff as 350 police officials are deputed in special cells where dangerous prisoners, including terrorists, are being kept. Only two doctors are performing duties in the jail hospital.”
He said that the government should set up a separate jail in Islamabad to ease the burden on Adiala Jail.
He said that they have taken action against staff members on complaints of relatives of prisoners regarding corruption.
‘The News’ learnt that there are a total of 64 rooms in eight barracks out of which six are for under-trial prisoners and two for other inmates. There are 148 cells out of which 75 are for prisoners on death row and 73 for terrorists. Around 70 dangerous prisoners, including terrorists, are being kept in shackles for months in the Adiala Jail.
Adiala Jail Superintendent Asad Javed Warraich, when contacted by ‘The News,’ said that they obey orders of the higher authorities in the matter of shackles. “However we send reports based on conduct of prisoners for unlocking their shackles,” he said.
The majority of under-trial prisoners, who appear before judges in the District Courts, criticised the jail management over non-availability of basic facilities and provision of unhygienic food.
Muhammad Sakhawat Shah, a prisoner, said that the jail administration was treating them like animals. “There is no water for drinking and washing and no electricity for operating fans and lights. Unhygienic food is being served to us. The management is using force against us instead of solving such problems,” he said.
Qasim Mushtaq, an under-trial prisoner, said that it was impossible to survive without hygienic meal, water and other facilities, adding that they spend sleepless nights in the prison.
Riasat Bashir, another under-trial prisoner, said that he has been suffering from diarrhoea for the last two days and trying to get admission in the hospital. According to him, he does not have enough money to get admitted in the hospital.
The News: Saturday, June 20, 2009
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