ISLAMABAD: Three inmates at Adiala Prison have approached the Islamabad High Court seeking treatment at private hospitals and permission to speak with their family members.
The petitions came after the court allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to receive treatment at a private hospital.
The Islamabad High Court issued notices to prison authorities and sought para-wise comments from the prison superintendent.
Justice Muhammad Asif heard the petitions filed by inmates Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail Khan and Owais Altaf. Barrister Akhtar Chhina represented the petitioners.
Chhina told the court that one of the petitioners suffers from hemophilia and internal bleeding. He said doctors had taken the inmate to hospital 10 times in the past two months, but his condition had not improved.
He argued that Shifa International Hospital is currently the only facility in Pakistan that can provide the required treatment.
The lawyer also referred to a Supreme Court ruling that allows prisoners to receive treatment at private hospitals when the required medical care is unavailable at government facilities.
He said the ruling also allows inmates’ families to bear the cost of private treatment.
The lawyer asked the court to order the formation of a medical board. He also questioned whether authorities could deny a prisoner private treatment if a required procedure, such as a liver transplant, was unavailable at a government hospital.
Meanwhile, lawyer Syed Jaffar appeared through video link for Owais Altaf. He said his client suffers from fever and a heart condition.
He argued that adequate medical treatment is a fundamental right of every prisoner. He said government hospitals could not provide the required treatment and asked the court to order Altaf’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital.
In the third petition, the lawyer said Muhammad Ismail had been imprisoned at Adiala for nine years. He said Ismail’s brother lives in Dubai and has not been in contact with him for years.
The lawyer asked the court to direct prison authorities to allow Ismail to speak with his brother through a WhatsApp call.
Finally, the court issued notices to prison authorities in all three cases and sought their responses. It adjourned the hearings until Aug. 27.
