A submitted report unveiled on Monday to the Supreme Court highlights that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is encountering relatively comfortable conditions during his confinement in Attock jail. Since his sentencing of three years by a trial court in Islamabad in the Toshakhana case on August 5, Khan’s accommodations and amenities have garnered attention.
Prompted by the apex court’s directive, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan delivered a comprehensive report detailing Khan’s living conditions in the prison.
The report elucidated that the PTI chairman is housed within the highly secure High Observation Block. Adjacent cells have been kept unoccupied to ensure security and privacy, according to the report.
The cell allocated to the former prime minister, who was removed from office following a vote of no-confidence in April of the previous year, has undergone renovation, featuring whitewashed and plastered walls, cemented floors, a ceiling fan, and a fiber door. The dimensions of the cell are 9×11 feet, and the adjoining washroom—featuring 6-foot-high walls—has been extended to 7×4 feet. Moreover, the wall height of the cell has been raised to five feet. The report notes the provision of new amenities, including a branded commode, Muslim shower, tissue stand, and stainless steel tap. Khan can also access a strolling shed outside his cell.
In consideration of his comfort in sleeping and staying within the cell, the jail administration classified him as a “better class prisoner.”
Consequently, Khan enjoys a mattress, four pillows, a table, a chair, and a prayer mat. He also benefits from an air cooler to maintain favorable ambient conditions. Khan’s entertainment needs are met with a 21-inch LED television.
Sanitation and cleanliness are overseen by a designated sanitary worker, who dedicates two hours daily to cleaning Khan’s cell washroom and laundering his clothes.
The report emphasized the availability of family visits. As per regulations, the prisoner’s family is allowed visits lasting two to three hours on Tuesdays, while lawyers are permitted the same duration on Wednesdays. Khan’s legal team and wife have visited him thrice each from August 7 to 23. Additionally, a team of five doctors conducts periodic examinations of the PTI chief.
The report enumerated Khan’s diet, comprising breakfast options like bread, omelet, curd, and tea. For lunch and dinner, fresh fruits, vegetables, pulses, and rice are provided. Upon his request, Khan is served desi chicken twice a week, and he has also been granted desi mutton cooked in ghee.
To ensure his safety and custody, 53 jail personnel from Punjab have been temporarily assigned to the task.
Strategies for security include inner and outer reinforcement of the jail, with four officials and an assistant superintendent deployed per shift in the confinement cell. Surveillance is carried out through three cameras in the strolling shed, carefully positioned to not infringe upon personal privacy. While no cameras are placed inside the cell, two are stationed outside the High Observation Block.
Communication is facilitated by provided wireless sets and an uninterrupted electricity supply to the High Observation Block is ensured through multiple sources.
In this comprehensive report, Khan’s living conditions and facilities have been outlined to meet prescribed standards and regulations.
