NCHR Visit to Adiala Jail: Over 300 prisoners of May 9 protest unable to afford legal help

News Desk

Islamabad: There are currently 300 protesters including a woman political worker incarcerated in the Central Jail (Adiala Jail) Rawalpindi, according to the report compiled by a team of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) who recently visited the jail in response to reports alleging torture and inhumane treatment of detained political workers.

The visit aimed to investigate the veracity of these allegations, to gauge the conditions of confinement, whether such prisoners had been tortured or not, and to check on the medical records of the prisoners – whether they were screened for illnesses or denied any of their rights and privileges as per law. The protesters who have been arrested for their involvement in inciting violence are being kept in jail barracks along with other prisoners. Most of these prisoners were unable to afford legal help and were facing difficulty in this regard. One major concern raised by the prisoners was regarding cancellations of court hearings.

Out of a total of 26 women political workers, only one is detained in jail and the rest have been released, the report released to media on Saturday states.
Two senior political leaders, who are detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), have been held in separate cells. When they were interviewed by the NCHR team, they expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the jail staff. However, they raised concerns about the non-provision of facilities such as mattresses, TV, and newspaper.
No evidence of inhumane or derogatory treatment was found during the visit to the jail, the report stated.
The female barracks were found to be clean and spacious perusal of the medical reports of women who had been arrested and were no longer in jail revealed that during screening (prior to incarceration) some bruises, few abrasions, and in one case a fractured finger was recorded in the jail register.
NCHR will continue to monitor the situation and work towards safeguarding the rights and welfare of detainees in the jail, the NCHR report stated.

The NCHR oversight team to the jail comprised Rana Ghulam Murtaza, Secretary NCHR, Mian Waqar Ahmed, Law Officer, NCHR, and members of civil society namely Barrister Sarah Belal, Barrister Maneha of Justice Project Pakistan and Mr. Safdar Chaudhary of HRCP.