16 inmates test positive for HIV in Peshawar central jail

PESHAWAR: At least 16 inmates in the Central Jail Peshawar have tested positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), ARY News reported.

According to Superintendent Waseem Khan, 16 prisoners in Peshawar Central Jail have tested positive for HIV. The prisoners were tested using modern equipment, and the results confirmed the presence of the virus.

The affected prisoners are drug addicts and have been isolated from other prisoners to prevent the spread of the disease. The jail administration is providing medical treatment and counseling to the affected prisoners.

Out of a total of 3,400 prisoners in the jail, 549 were tested for HIV, and 16 were found to be positive.

In 2022, a Human Rights Commission (HRC) report stated that Pakistan’s renowned Adiala Jail is hosting 180% more prisoners that its capacity, with at least 119 HIV-positive and 82 juvenile prisoners,

Also read: Adiala jail hosting 180% more prisoners than capacity – HRC report

According to the HRC report, the jail has the capacity to host 2,174 prisoners while currently at least 6,098 prisoners are serving their time in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi. The jail has only one male doctor for the 5851 male prisoners in the penitentiary.

The report adds that the posting of the same officers at the jail for a prolonged period of time has also raised corruption allegations. The deputy superintendent of the Adiala Jail has not been changed for 10 years, while another officer Matakam Vibesh has been posted at the jail for over 38 years.