Adiala Jail prisoner dies under 'mysterious' circumstances

A prisoner at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, identified as Nazir, died under mysterious circumstances late Friday night, prompting calls for an investigation from his family.

According to the jail administration, Nazir fell critically ill while incarcerated and was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Rawalpindi for treatment. Despite efforts, he succumbed during treatment.

Authorities have yet to conduct a postmortem to determine the exact cause of death.

The inmate’s family has expressed deep concerns over the circumstances surrounding his death and has demanded a thorough probe into the incident to uncover the truth.

This is not the first time Adiala Jail has faced scrutiny over the death of inmates. In July of last year, Shahvez Bhatti, a prisoner held in a murder case, also died while in custody.

His father alleged that Shahvez was killed by jail authorities in collusion with opponents within the prison.

However, Jail Superintendent Asad Javed Waraich refuted the claims, stating that Shahvez had ingested the drug ‘ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) after a court hearing, leading to his deteriorating condition. Despite being transferred to DHQ hospital for immediate medical attention, he did not survive.

These repeated incidents have raised questions about the conditions within Adiala Jail and the adequacy of measures to ensure the safety and well-being of prisoners.

Families and rights advocates are urging authorities to conduct transparent investigations to hold accountable those responsible and to prevent future tragedies.