LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Punjab government to shift a man detained at Sahiwal jail since his repatriation from Bagram Internment Centre, Afghanistan, to a private mental healthcare facility in Lahore.

During hearing of a petition moved by Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), an assistant advocate general submitted medical reports from Sahiwal jail confirming that the repatriated inmate, Iftikhar Ahmad, was mentally ill and that he could not be treated at the jail.

Barrister Sarah Bilal of JPP said Iftikhar suffered from severe mental illnesses since his detention in Bagram and his condition deteriorated since he was moved to Sahiwal jail. She asked the court for his immediate transfer to a psychiatric facility for his proper examination.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan directed the government to shift the detainee immediately to a private mental healthcare facility.

Published in Dawn, July 254th, 2014