Adiala jail housing almost 5000, built to keep 1500 prisoners

ISLAMABAD: Prominent prison Adiala situated in Rawalpindi which was initially designed to house 1500 inmates is reportedly filled to the brim with more than double the prisoner count, ARY News reported on Friday.

Hearing a petition filed by a prisoner about the dilapidated conditions of the correctional facility, Islamabad High Court headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah called upon the jail superintendent.

The superintendent confessed that the jail was constructed with a maximum capacity of 1500 prisoners in mind.

He also revealed that the facility currently housed 4800 inmates.

The court expressed its frustrations over lack of ownership from the Human Rights Ministry or Ministry of Health upon finding them not being represented in the court to debate the matter.

Sharing his personal experience of having served time in the facility, Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that he too was a captive in the prison in the past and was well aware of its abhorrent condition.

The court directed the ministry of health and human rights to ensure their presence in the upcoming proceedings of the case.

The chief justice directed the ministries to submit their replies on the matter by 10 a.m tomorrow (Saturday).

The case was adjourned till tomorrow.