Prison reform panel refused to meet Imran, CJP says – Journal

ISLAMABAD: The subcommittee on prison reforms on Wednesday informed Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi that its members were denied a meeting with former Prime Minister Imran Khan during their visit to the prison of Adiala.

Subcommittee member and renowned fashion designer Khadija Shah shared her experiences in a letter to the CJP regarding Tuesday's visit to the prison.

In her two-page letter to the CJP, Ms. Shah said: Your commitment to prison reform is evident in your decision to create this committee. The Prison Service's actions must also align with our commitment and should facilitate our research and proposed reforms once they take shape.

She requested the organization of another visit to Adiala Prison for the subcommittee, during which its members should have access to Imran Khan to include his comments in the report.

In early November, CJP Afridi constituted the subcommittee comprising retired judge Shabbar Raza Rizvi, lawyer Saima Amin Khawaja, senator Ahad Khan Cheema and Khadija Shah. The committee was tasked with inspecting Punjab's prisons and submitting recommendations aimed at streamlining processes, addressing the high number of undertrial prisoners and promoting alternative sentencing options, such as community service general and probation.

Adiala Prison is one of the prisons that has housed many political prisoners over the past two years. Currently, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is incarcerated there. He's a prisoner like any other. Obtaining her feedback was essential and would have given us valuable insight into the reform needed in terms of political prisoners and the process and rights afforded to them, Ms Shah explained in the letter.

She recalled that the CJP had explicitly asked the prison administration and government representatives, during meetings on prison reform, to grant the subcommittee full access to all parts of the prison and to all prisoners . She added that the CJP also ordered authorities to allow the committee to move freely without the monitoring or supervision of prison staff.

Unfortunately, after our supervised visit to the prison, when we requested to be taken to former Prime Minister Imran Khan's quarters, we were refused access. We were initially told that Imran Khan was being tried in prison and after insisting that we would like to see where he was being held to assess the conditions of his accommodation, this request was also rejected, the letter explains, a she added.

At this point, Ms Shah said, Prisons DIG Abdul Rauf Rana arrived and assured the committee would not have access. I find this denial of access shocking, because having been a prisoner myself, we met with all the members of the committee and the government who visited Kot Lakhpat to monitor the conditions of the prisoners, she said, adding that the committee would provide feedback, including input from Dr. Yasmin. Rashid and Aalia Hamza, both members of the previous PTI government and also political prisoners.

Ms Shah explained that during the visit to Adiala Prison, the committee observed that all areas appeared to have been prepared in advance for their arrival, creating a sterile and controlled environment. A large contingent of prison staff accompanied us throughout the tour, she said, adding that the committee members visited different areas, including the hospital, the women's barracks and the areas reserved for prisoners suffering mental health and substance abuse problems.

The committee also visited prisoners on death row, the letter said, adding that the subcommittee was focused on the treatment of prisoners and determining whether their conditions met globally recognized standards for prisoners' rights, such as defined in the Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Report.

Shah noted that the country has been in crisis for two years, a situation reflected in the prison population, with a significant number of political prisoners contributing to prison overcrowding.

We cannot introduce reform with an administration that wants to choose its administration of justice. I hope we can resolve this issue and ensure that our subcommittee has unrestricted access to all prisoners, she concluded.

Published in Dawn, December 19, 2024

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