IHC seeks reply on prisoners’ treatment, phone access

IHC seeks reply on prisoners’ treatment, phone access

ISLAMABAD: Three inmates at Adiala Jail have approached the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to receive treatment at a private hospital and, in one case, to speak with a family member over the phone.

Justice Muhammad Asif heard the petitions filed by prisoners **Ilyas Khan, Ismail Khan and Owais Altaf**. After hearing the initial arguments, the court issued notices to the superintendent of Adiala Jail and sought point-by-point responses from the prison authorities. The court adjourned further proceedings until **August 27**.

During the hearing, Barrister Akhtar Chhina, counsel for Ismail Khan, told the court that his client suffers from **haemophilia** and has been experiencing internal bleeding.

According to the lawyer, prison authorities have taken Ismail Khan to hospital **10 times over the past two months**, but his condition has not improved. He argued that the treatment required by his client is currently available in Pakistan only at Shifa International Hospital.

The counsel further maintained that the Supreme Court has previously ruled that when a prisoner cannot receive adequate treatment at a government hospital, authorities can shift the inmate to a private medical facility. He added that the prisoner’s family was willing to bear the cost of treatment.

The petition concerning Owais Altaf was argued through video link by Advocate Syed Jafar. He told the court that Altaf was suffering from **fever and a heart condition** and required proper medical care.

Jafar argued that access to appropriate healthcare is a basic right of every prisoner and requested the court to direct the authorities to shift Altaf from a government hospital to Shifa International Hospital for treatment.

The hearing also highlighted Ismail Khan’s prolonged incarceration. His lawyer told the court that Khan has remained imprisoned at Adiala Jail for the past **nine years**. One of his brothers lives in Dubai, and Khan has allegedly been unable to contact him for several years.

The counsel therefore asked the court to direct jail authorities to allow Ismail Khan to speak with his brother by telephone.

After considering the petitions, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent and directed the prison authorities to submit detailed, point-by-point replies. The court then adjourned the hearing until August 27.