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

HYDERABAD, May 20: Former deputy inspector-general (operations) of police Saleemullah Khan, who is in the Mirpurkhas district jail, complained to the Sindh High

Court on Saturday that he was not being allowed to see his doctors and counsel.

He said he had no links with anyone outside the prison and those coming to visit him were threatened and driven away by the jail administration.

The jailed police official made the complaints, one of them in writing, to Mirpurkhas First Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Yamin Khan, who visited the jail under directives of Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari, Senior Judge of the SHC’s Hyderabad Circuit Bench, requiring all sessions judges to pay surprise visits to jails.

In his statement recorded before the visiting judge, Mr Khan said he was suffering from hypertension and cardiac problems and he needed treatment which was not being allowed.

He said no arrangements had been made for the treatment of his gastroenteritis problem despite requests.

However, when his condition worsened, he was given an injection but not taken out of his cell for administering drips in hospital.

He told the judge that in spite of the trial court’s order allowing him B-class, no facility had been provided to him.

“I sleep on the floor of my cell, which is also without any chair or table,” he said.

He also said that he was being kept in isolation.

Mr Khan had complained to the judge during his earlier visit to the jail on May 17: “I am not provided papers for writing applications. I am even not being allowed to see my counsel.”

The judge had asked jail chief Ziaur Rehman to provide him papers and to allow him to meet his counsel as an under-trial prisoner.

The judge had directed the prison chief to ensure proper medical treatment to the prisoner by the medical officer of the jail or cardiologist Dr Sultan.

On Saturday, the former deputy inspector-general told the judge that he was not getting any facility.

However, the jail chief said a medical examination of the prisoner had been conducted by Dr Gobind Ram, a cardiologist deputed by the Mirpurkhas civil surgeon, and his counsel were allowed to meet him.

He said he had not received any letter regarding granting B-class to the prisoner.

The former deputy inspector-general’s bail application is fixed for hearing on Monday.

He is also to be produced before the Khipro civil judge and judicial magistrate in a case.