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Court Questions Discriminatory Use of Jail Manual in Prisoner Treatment Case

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At a glance

  • A federal court is hearing pleas for equal medical treatment for all prisoners.
  • The court has questioned the discriminatory application of the jail manual.
  • Notices have been issued to the Attorney General, with the hearing adjourned.

Story so far

Inmates from Adiala Jail have petitioned the Federal Constitutional Court, seeking medical facilities on par with those provided to the PTI founder. Their plea follows the dismissal of similar petitions by the Islamabad High Court. A three-member FCC bench is now hearing the case, questioning the use of private hospitals for prisoners and emphasizing that the jail manual mandates equal treatment for all. The court has issued a notice to the Attorney General for assistance and adjourned the hearing.

Latest development

The Federal Constitutional Court questioned the validity of the jail manual if applied discriminatorily while hearing pleas from Adiala Jail inmates. The court observed that the manual is "clear" on the transfer of prisoners to hospitals and questioned why government facilities were not being used.

Latest updates

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday questioned the validity of the jail manual if it were to be applied discriminatorily, as it continued hearing petitions from Adiala Jail inmates seeking medical treatment on par with that granted to the PTI founder. The pleas were filed after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had previously dismissed them.

A three-member bench headed by FCC Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the case. During the proceedings, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi remarked, “There should not be any discrimination when the jail manual is very clear.”

Justice Aamer Farooq questioned why private hospitals were being sought for treatment instead of government facilities like PIMS or Poly Clinic, citing Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978. The court issued a notice to the Attorney General for assistance and adjourned the hearing until the following day.

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Dawn News

FCC says jail manual 'clear' on transfer of prisoners to hospital

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday questioned the validity of the jail manual if it was to be applied discriminatorily, adding that it was “clear” on the transfer of prisoners to hospital. The court made the observations whil

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