Pakistan’s lockups lack most basic facilities: report

National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan decries lack of ventilation, water, bathroom facilities

KARACHI:  

The National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan (NCHRP) has illustrated the unsatisfactory standard of lockup cells at police stations across the country in a recently released report.

In the report submitted by the NCHRP to President Mamnoon Hussain, it was revealed that the lockups at police stations across the country are in very poor condition with the unavailability of even the most basic facilities.

The report calls it a violation of human rights to keep people detained for a short period of time for interrogation purposes in these police lockups as they do not even have proper arrangements of ventilation and water.

"A police lockup is neither a jail nor a prison. A police lockup is a temporary holding facility of a law enforcement agency used to hold suspects waiting for interrogation or transfer to a jail," the report said. The report was submitted to examine the state of living conditions at detention centres and lockups, analyse the situation of rights of detainees, assess the efficacy of lockup management and suggest appropriate measures and interventions that are both facility specific as well policy specific.

In the report, the commission has also given its recommendations such as following life safety codes because a number of devastating and catastrophic fires have occurred due to the inadequacies of safety features in buildings. There is a lack of consideration for life safety features in the design and construction of lockups, according to the report, which suggests that the facilities be made compliant to life and fire safety codes. The purpose of the life safety codes is to establish minimum requirements that will provide a reasonable degree of safety from fire and similar emergencies in buildings and structures.



Assessment of detainees should be done in relation to risks, including mental health, suicide and criminal history. Detainees should be provided information about the reason of their arrest, their rights and responsibilities in the lockup, states the report.

The NCHRP also states that a surveillance system of detainees like video monitoring and closed-circuit television cameras should be regularly maintained and checked to ensure they are in good working condition. A system for detainees to alert employees should also be installed. The holding cells should be clean, kept at comfortable temperature and should be well ventilated.

The NCHRP has also made observations in the report, such as the lack of standard operating procedures for the management of police lockups. Officers responsible for maintaining and managing the lockups are not given any training on the object, the commission noted.

There is also no mechanism for regular medical check-ups in the lockup and there are no medical records maintained. No medical examinations are conducted at the time of entry and exit in the lockup and there is a lack of medical officers assigned in the police stations. There is also a dearth of medicines and first aid kits, according to the report.

The lockup cells do not have proper ventilators or windows. The entry of natural light and fresh air in the available ventilators and windows is also insufficient.

The sanitary installations in lockup cells are not up to the mark, according to the report, which states that they are poorly maintained. Toilets and bathrooms do not afford privacy while the cells are not constructed keeping in mind the consideration of the health of detainees, especially those who are of older ages, suffering from illnesses, pregnant or disabled.



There is an absence of provision of clothing to detainees as well, the report noted. There were no lady police officers available at the stations, as per the report, which stated that psychological analysis of the detainees upon their arrival in the lockup is also not done.

Detainees should be provided with toilet articles like soap, towels and oral hygiene material on a regular basis. The toilets and bathrooms of the facilities need to be made cleaner and need renovation.

It is highly recommended to have a doctor and a psychologist at the facility available 24/7 for evaluation and medical examination of the detainees, recommends the report. A first aid kit should also be made available in the facility in order for medical emergency treatment, the report added.

A senior police official when questioned about the facilities at stations in Sindh shifted the blame to the provincial home department, saying that it is their responsibility to maintain and renovate police buildings, including lockups, and the police department usually sent the proposals in this regard to the provincial home department.