May 21, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 04, 1428

ATTOCK, May 20: A young diabetic prisoner is fighting for life at the Attock jail hospital as he could not be shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital due to non-availability of police guard, sources at the jail administration told Dawn, requesting not to be named.

The 26-year-old diabetic under-trail prisoner, Rowaiz Khan, resident of Peshawar was shifted to the jail hospital from his barrack when his condition deteriorated on Saturday morning.

The Attock jail medical officer after checking him declared his condition precarious and recommended to shift him immediately to the DHQ hospital for proper treatment. He feared that any delay could prove fatal for him, sources said. Following the MO’s recommendation, the jail authorities informed the district police through a letter for provision of police guard for shifting the prisoner to the DHQ hospital.

But he could not be shifted to the DHQ hospital till filing of this story despite the passage of 36 hours, who is battling for his life at the jail hospital, the sources added.

When contacted, the deputy superintendent of Attock Jail Mr Ayub confirmed the report and said that the patient could not be shifted due to non-provision of police guard from the district police. As per rules, no any prisoner can be moved outside the jail without proper police guard, he added.

He said, if police guard were not provided, then they would send a reminder to the district police on Monday.—Correspondent