IHC summons report over human rights abuses in jails

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a case of human rights violations in jails sought a report on responsibility of rights abuses in prisons, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

“Who is responsible for human rights violations in jails,” Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah questioned during the hearing today.

“It seems the chief minister and chief executive are responsible for inhuman treatment,” the court remarked. “Why the victim prisoners not paid compensation from the people responsible for inhuman treatment,” the court posed question.

“The court had ruled over human rights abuses with prisoners an year ago,” the bench remarked.

“A state could not subject its citizens to cruelty, if it is being happened, someone is responsible for it,” the bench observed.

“Treatment with jail inmates is a living example of human rights violations,” the court further said.

The court summoned a report over the matter from the ministry of human rights within a month.

In an earlier report the Ministry of Human Rights submitted to the IHC it was stated that there was limit of 2,100 prisoners in Adiala Jail but 5,799 were housed, adding that there were influential prisoners in Bhakar and Adiala Jails.

The court converted a letter of a prisoner into a petition for hearing the case.