Justice for the unjust: The unbearable bars

Prisoners face inhumane treatment in judicial lockups .

ISLAMABAD:

Killing her husband might not have made Zehra*, an under-trial prisoner, remorseful, but shuttling between the prison and judicial lockup has taken a toll on her.

Faced with a murder charges for the past two year, Zehra is a frequent ‘visitor’ at the judicial lockup, where she is brought in every month from Adiala Jail to be presented before the court.

It is not the to-and-fro from prison to the courts which she detests, but rather, it is the inhumane treatment she suffers at the hands of the police officials which is breaking her down.

“Whenever I am brought to the judicial lockup, the police officers use abusive language and harass me in different ways,” Zehra told The Express Tribune.

The judicial lockup — or Bakhsi Khana as it is called in the vernacular — is where prisoners are held for a few hours before they are presented before the court.

Confined in a small room with over dozen other prisoners at the judicial lockup near the district court, Zehra, has no words that match up to describe her misery of being regularly harassed by police personnel.

Razia’s* story is no different. She was arrested in a drug case two months ago and is, since then, making rounds of the court.

“Is there any judge who will investigate offices who treat female prisoners like animals,” asked Razia, adding that the condition of judicial lockup was so bad that there were not even separate toilets for female prisoners.

The under-trial prisoner went on to state that the lockup lacks basic facilities such as clean drinking water. “We are humans first and prisoners second, and we should be treated humanely,” remarked another prisoner, who asked not to be named.

Things are not much very different for male prisoners. Ibrar Khan*, a murder- accused from Mardan, said that he has to bribe the police to be allowed to meet his family.

“Officers take Rs 500 to 1,000 before letting me meet my family. There is not a single a day when the policemen do not ask for money to allow me to meet my parents.”

Lawyer Nisar Shah said the police were bound to abide by the jail manual in the judicial lockup, but unfortunately, they rarely do so.

Inhuman treatment of prisoners is not only the violation of the jail manual, but also a violation of fundamental rights under the constitution, he added.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tahir Alam Khan, admitted that there were multiple issues being faced by the prisoners which need to be addressed.

The official claimed that the police had written to the ministry of interior several times asking for the construction of a proper lockup, but the ministry has not taken up the case.

“I cannot pay from my pocket for the renovation of the lockup,” he said, adding that he will take action against the officers if the allegations of harassment levelled by the female prisoners are proven to be true. *Names of prisoners have been changed to protect identity.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2015.