Elderly prisoner seeks bail fearing he might contract virus in jail

KARACHI: Fearful of contracting coronavirus, an elderly prisoner approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) for bail on Thursday.

A two-member bench, comprising SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh and Justice Omar Sial, heard the petition filed by 65-year-old Barkat Ali, who is incarcerated at Central Jail Karachi.

Ali's lawyer, Barrister Muhammad Asad Ashfaq, argued that the accused already suffered from other medical conditions, including hypertension and depression, and his health was deteriorating. He added that the virus was more harmful to older people.

The petition prayed upon the court that "the petitioner being classified as highly vulnerable to the Corona Virus and being a seriously ill and infirm person prefers the instant petition for post-arrest bail" as he suffers from multiple physical and mental ailments.

The counsel added that the only way to stay safe from the contagious disease was to take precautions and keep a distance from others, but this was not possible in the overcrowded prison. He pleaded the court to give Ali bail to save his life.

The court issued a notice to the NAB chairperson, seeking his reply by April 7.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.