Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The largest ever prison of Asia, Adiala Jail Rawalpindi has turned into a facility where both human rights and norms of decency are violated.

Well placed sources told Daily Times that Adiala prison is the largest ever jail of Asia in terms of its capacity and significance. The use of drugs has become common due to alleged connivance between jail administration and addicts. A powerful mafia of drug peddlers has taken deep root inside jail with the blessing of jail administration and is minting money with impunity out of sale of contraband drugs. They pay due share to the jail management.

Sources said that the elements who are detained in jail on the charges of drug peddling re-start their heinous business of supplying drugs to addicts with the alleged backing of jail officers. This way not only the drugs are supplied to hardened addicts but some new jail inmates also become addicts by joining hands with old addicts.

The leaders of banned outfits are detained in Adiala Jail and they are also availing phone facility therein. This way the leaders and workers of banned outfits continue their activities inside jail through the mode of mobile phones. This facility is also available to death convicts.

Sources told Daily Times that big gangsters come into jail by offering their arrest due to police pressure and they not only strengthen their network inside jail but also run it in organized manner.

The prisoners have been detained in Adiala jail beyond its capacity. About 400 condemned prisoners are detained in jail presently. In the small rooms they can neither sleep nor can they have a walk. This is sheer breach of fundamental rights.

The food being served to jail inmates in central jail is also sub standard and of low quality. The clean drinking water is also not available to prisoners, therefore, a good number of jail inmates have contracted water borne diseases. The medicines being supplied in jail dispensaries don’t cater to the needs of prisoners.

Sources told Daily Times that there is no regular doctor is working in jail dispensary and no proper facilities of treatment are being provided to inmates. Two or three pills of same variety are being provided to every patient for all diseases. Several prisoners die in so called hospital in jail for want of medicines and look after and their bodies are handed over to their family members silently.

It has become an uphill task for the visitors to meet their relatives detained in jail without greasing the palm of jail staffers.

Whenever some eatables, food items or commodities are given to them for their delivery to the jail inmates, these corrupt staffers grab their share and later deliver a small quantity of the commodity to jail inmates. If someone lodges complaint against this rogue act with jail authorities then the jail inmates are subjected to violence and merciless thrashing.

The meeting between prisoners and their family members has become a lucrative business for jail staffers as they are harvesting income running into millions of rupees every month through this activity.