Adiala jail still at threefold capacity
FILE PHOTO
The problem of overcrowding at Adiala Jail remains the same despite politicians of every hue having spent time at the Rawalpindi prison. A Senate panel that visited it on Thursday was informed that the prison, with a capacity of a little over 2,000 prisoners, had more than 6,000 inmates.
The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights expressed concern that overcrowding, which leads to insanitary and violent conditions. The panel decided to raise the issue of building a separate functional jail for Islamabad in the Upper House.
The committee also decided to recommend transferring prisoners of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to jails in that province. They did this after speaking to inmates at the prison.
The inspector general of Prisons in Punjab, Mian Farooq Nazir, and Adila Superintendent Asad Javed Waraich briefed the committee led by its chairman, Senator Waleed Iqbal.
The committee was informed that there were 1,568 inmates in the prison for murder and attempted murder, 1,358 over theft and robbery, 1,925 were implicated in drug cases, 393 in financial crimes, 342 in terrorism-related offenses and 813 for other crimes.
There are 53,936 prisoners in various jails across Punjab. The number of male prisoners is 52,289. The number of female prisoners is 944. Another 703 are juveniles. Meanwhile, 115 of the female prisoners have 133 children, the committee was informed.
The committee was informed that 785 telephone booths have been set up for prisoners to talk to their families. A roti-baking machine is being procured for the 6,000 prisoners. It will bake 4,000 rotis in an hour.
The panel was informed that Rs5 billion had been allocated to turn eight prisons in Punjab into model prisons. 55-inch LEDs have been installed in various barracks. 20,000 prisoners have received technical education certificates. Three jails in the province had been converted to solar power, while 22 others would be converted soon, the panel was told.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2023.