ISLAMABAD, April 28: The Parliamentarian Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) has expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions of Adiala Jail and hapless state of prisoners.
This was stated by PCHR Chief Coordinator Shafique Chaudhry during a meeting with Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab Raja Nasir and District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas here on Friday.
According to a press release, Mr Chaudhry was also concerned about the overall state of prisoners in the country and said that the worsening state of prisons and violations of prisoners’ basic rights demand urgent attention to reform the prison system in Pakistan. He particularly diverted attention of the district administration towards the dismal state of Adiala Jail especially in the context of torture allegedly inflicted upon prisoners.
Imprisonment did not imply that the prisoners should be deprived of their rights but they should have the right of access to courts for fair trial as well as respect for boldly integrity, he said.
Mr Chaudhry emphasized upon the reformation of prison system in such a way that prisoners could have been treated according to basic principles for the treatment laid down by the United Nations resolutions.
Raja Nasir and Javed Ikhlas both said that it was prime objective of the government to create reforms-oriented environment in jails so that prisoners instead of becoming professional criminals become healthy citizens of the country.
They said that it was possible only when they bring about reforms in prisons in such a way that jails start working as social reform institutions rather than torture cells.
Adviser to the chief minister and the district nazim will visit Adiala Jail on Saturday along with an eight-member PCHR team led by its chairperson Riaz Fatyana.
The team would personally investigate the plight of vulnerable prisoners in terms of reports of alleged tortures, deteriorating health and medical facilities, complaints of corruption and ill-treatment of visitors.
PCHR delegation would be comprised of its directors Kashmala Tariq, Dr Shahzad Waseem, MNAs Rai Azizullah Khan, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Fauzia Wahab, Mehnaz Rafi and Shafique Chaudhry.