Mansehra jail: on the verge of collapse

The lives of at least 400 prisoners may be at risk in District Jail Mansehra for no reason other than sheer negligence, as the roof over their heads is on the verge of collapse. Since the earthquake in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in October last year, which killed nearly 300 people, the building of the jail has been severely damaged. Cracks have appeared in many parts of the structure and it is feared that the entire building may come crumbling down if any more tremors are felt in the region. In a report published in this newspaper, inmates described the fear in which they have been living since the October earthquake, which was compounded by the tremors that hit the area in December. As one prisoner stated, “It seems nature will execute us before a court does.” This emotional burden that the prisoners are carrying and the very real risk of death seem to have had little effect on the provincial bureaucracy. While the K-P Communication and Works department has stated that an estimated amount of Rs90 million will be needed to reconstruct the damaged barracks and cells, this has yet to be approved by prison authorities.



There is little empathy in Pakistani society for those whose fate it is to be confined to prisons and little attention is paid to the conditions prevalent in them. As is true for many prisons of the country, District Jail Mansehra also faces major concerns of overpopulation. The building of the prison was meant to house around 400 people, but instead houses 700, including women and juveniles. The responsibility to ensure humane living conditions and safety of prisoners cannot be ignored. Although safety and rights of prisoners is clearly not a priority in our society, as is obvious from the lack of concern or national debate that executions in Pakistan generate, the wellbeing of the prisoners in Mansehra remains the responsibility of the provincial government and bureaucracy. We urge the authorities to abandon their laidback approach, which if not amended, will continue to endanger the lives of hundreds of men, women and children.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2016.

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