Adiala Jail Inmates Approach Court for Private Hospital Treatment and Family Contact
ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court has sent notice to the Adiala Jail superintendent and invited paraweise comments on the petitions made by three prisoners for allowing them to receive treatment at private hospitals and be in touch with their relatives. Justice Muhammad Asif heard the petitions presented by the prisoners Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail Khan and Awais Altaf. Barrister Akhtar Chheena was appearing on behalf of Muhammad Ismail Khan and Syed Jafar appeared on behalf of Awais Altaf via video link.Muhammad Ismail Khan’s Counsel, Saeed Ahmed Riaz, stated that the petitioner suffers from hemophilia and internal bleeding.
He said he had been taken to the hospital 10 times in the last two months but there was not much improvement in his condition. According to the lawyer, the full medical care of the petitioner is available at Shifa International Hospital and precedent of the law says that if any prisoner needs special care which is not provided by the government hospitals they can be transferred to private hospitals at the cost of their families.
The court was asked to direct for a medical board of the petitioner.In the meantime, counsellor for Awais Altaf said that his client has fever and heart problems and as such proper medical treatment is a basic right.
Further, counsel for Muhammad Ismail Khan explained that his client has been spending the last nine years in Adiala Jail and has not been able to meet up with his brother in Dubai, and asked the court to direct the jail authorities to allow a WhatsApp call to be made.In all three petitions, Islamabad High Court summoned parawise comments from the superintendent of the jail and served notices on the prison authorities and rescheduled the proceedings till August 27.