RAWALPINDI, Oct 3: The Human Rights Commission of the Punjab Bar Council (PBC) in a meeting on Friday decided to visit Adiala Jail next week to provide free legal aid to the inmates and highlight human rights abuses there.

The commission provides free legal aid to destitute prisoners.

The meeting was presided over by the chairman of the PBC’s Free Legal Aid Committee, Rawalpindi district, Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar. Other committee members, including Javeria Naz, Fahim Chaudhry, Sajid Tanavli, Mushtaq Mirza, Zahid Iqtidar Shah, Chaudhry Ijaz, Chaudhry Umar Rashid and Aamir Azad Khan were also present on the occasion.

Prior to their visit to Adiala Jail, the committee members would hold a meeting with the district and sessions judge, Dost Mohammad Khemta, and the superintendent of Adiala Jail, Kaukab Nadeem Warraich.

Apprehensions were also expressed in the meeting about the inhuman condition of most of inmates in Adiala Jail.

According to sources in the committee, a large number of women and juvenile inmates, most of whom were facing minor cases, were in need of legal aid. The committee would also decide as to what extent the jail’s staff followed the jail manual.

Mr Gujjar also appealed to the media to create awareness among the people about the aim and role of the committee as well as the ways through which the inmates in need could reach them for acquiring legal aid.