NCHR fact-finders to visit Adiala Jail
Will evaluate facilities provided to prisoners
PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairman Justice (Retd) Ali Nawaz Chohan on Tuesday directed the commission members to visit Adiala Jail Rawalpindi in the coming week to probe into the reported lack of facilities for prisoners.
The move came after the media and former Punjab Chief Minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif lamented about the living conditions of prisoners in Adiala Jail in his public speeches.
The committee that is going to visit the Adiala Jail comprises NCHR members Fazila Aliani and Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique. According to the reports, Shehbaz Sharif cited the lack of health and medical facilities, humidity and lack of proper air conditioning, unhygienic food and unhygienic sanitary conditions.
NCHR has expressed serious concerns over the allegations of the former CM and raised serious questions as it accounts for blatant violations of human rights of prisoners.
The Section 9 (C) of the NCHR Act mandates the commission to visit any jail or detention centres, which are vulnerable to human rights violations. The visit will be carried out in pursuance of Article 9 (C) of the NCHR Act 2012 which clearly stipulates, “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the Commission or any person authorized by it may visit any jail, place of detention or any other institution or place under the control of the Government or its agencies, where convicts, under trial prisoners, detainees or other persons are lodged or detained for purposes of ascertaining the legality of their detention as well as to find out whether the provisions of the applicable laws or other provisions relating to the inmates living conditions and their other rights are being complied with.”
The alleged situation of the prisoners violates the provisions granted in the jail manual as well as is a grave violation of Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairman Justice (Retd) Ali Nawaz Chohan on Tuesday directed the commission members to visit Adiala Jail Rawalpindi in the coming week to probe into the reported lack of facilities for prisoners.
The move came after the media and former Punjab Chief Minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif lamented about the living conditions of prisoners in Adiala Jail in his public speeches.
The committee that is going to visit the Adiala Jail comprises NCHR members Fazila Aliani and Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique. According to the reports, Shehbaz Sharif cited the lack of health and medical facilities, humidity and lack of proper air conditioning, unhygienic food and unhygienic sanitary conditions.
NCHR has expressed serious concerns over the allegations of the former CM and raised serious questions as it accounts for blatant violations of human rights of prisoners.
The Section 9 (C) of the NCHR Act mandates the commission to visit any jail or detention centres, which are vulnerable to human rights violations. The visit will be carried out in pursuance of Article 9 (C) of the NCHR Act 2012 which clearly stipulates, “Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the Commission or any person authorized by it may visit any jail, place of detention or any other institution or place under the control of the Government or its agencies, where convicts, under trial prisoners, detainees or other persons are lodged or detained for purposes of ascertaining the legality of their detention as well as to find out whether the provisions of the applicable laws or other provisions relating to the inmates living conditions and their other rights are being complied with.”
The alleged situation of the prisoners violates the provisions granted in the jail manual as well as is a grave violation of Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.