Torture case: IHC CJ Athar Minallah to visit Adiala Jail tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah has decided to visit Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail tomorrow for inspection of the prison in a complaint case concerning torture of a prisoner, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to details, IHC CJ Athar Minallah heard the case filed by the parents of a prisoner regarding alleged torture on him. Secretary Human Rights appeared before the court.

During the hearing, Chief Justice noted that the Human Rights Ministry has extraordinary powers, adding that the ministry can seek reports not only from Islamabad but also from the provinces.

He ordered the Secretary Human Rights to accompany him during the visit to Adiala jail tomorrow.

A day earlier, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) submitted a report to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), disclosing alleged corrupt practices and torture of prisoners held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

The court said that a doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) had examined the prisoner and the medical report supported allegations of torture in the complaint made by the prisoner’s parents.

The court warned the superintendent of the prison that serious action would be taken and an investigation would be conducted if a prisoner complains of mistreatment while in prison.

In an earlier incident, a 21-year-old prisoner Shahab Hussain, arrested in an anti-terrorism case, was stripped and subjected to torture by Adiala jail officials who had demanded a bribe from him.

Hussain’s mother Imtiaz Bibi had filed a petition in the IHC stating that the jail superintendent and other staff members tortured her son and broke his finger.