Adiala jail death-row prisoner dies after suicide attempt

RAWALPINDI:

A death-row prisoner, who had sustained severe burns while attempting to kill himself by setting himself on fire at Central Jail Adiala, passed away during treatment at Holy Family Hospital (HFH).

The prisoner, Khalid Mahmood, had set himself ablaze inside the prison on September 22. Sources reported that 50 per cent of his body had been burned. After receiving initial medical aid at Adiala Jail, a prison ambulance had transferred the injured inmate to the burn unit of Holy Family Hospital, where he battled for his life for ten days. Despite the efforts of the burn unit's specialist doctors and staff to save him, he could not survive and breathed his last at the hospital yesterday.

Jail sources stated that he was serving a death sentence after he was convicted in a murder case (FIR No. 53/18) registered in the Attock district in 2018. A local court in Attock had handed down the death penalty after his guilt was proven, following which he was transferred to Adiala Jail.

Sources further mentioned that a case regarding the suicide attempt had been registered at the Saddar Beruni Police Station as well and that the Attock police had been informed immediately after the incident, following which an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) from the Attock police had remained on duty to guard the prisoner throughout his treatment.

The prison administration did not respond to questions about its stance regarding the death-row prisoner's suicide attempt inside a high-security facility like Adiala Jail.