Pakistan court rejects Adiala inmates' pleas for private hospital care and overseas calls

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed petitions filed by three inmates at Adiala Jail seeking transfer to private hospitals for specialized medical treatment.

Justice Muhammad Asif issued the detailed ruling, establishing that incarcerated individuals cannot be shifted from prison custody to private healthcare facilities as long as state medical infrastructure remains available under statutory jail manuals.

Why did the IHC reject the private hospital treatment petitions?

The legal challenge was mounted by Adiala Jail prisoners Owais Altaf, Ilyas Khan, and Muhammad Ismail. The petitioners' counsel argued that the inmates suffered from severe chronic conditions—including internal gastrointestinal bleeding and heart disease—and sought transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, citing an August 18 Supreme Court directive regarding PTI founder Imran Khan's medical care. Defense attorneys contended that constitutional guarantees under Articles 9, 14, and 25 required equal treatment for ordinary prisoners.

However, the court upheld the arguments presented by Advocate General Islamabad Naveed Hayat Malik and Advocate General Punjab Barrister Zafarullah.

State law officers submitted that Chapter 32 of the Punjab Prison Rules provides a complete procedural framework for inmate healthcare, specifying that sick prisoners must be treated within prison hospitals or transferred to designated state-run facilities such as the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The court agreed with state representatives that neither the jail superintendent nor medical officers had certified that treatment was unviable within government medical channels.

What did the court rule regarding international phone calls for prisoners?

Beyond medical transfers, the petitioners requested permission to communicate with family members living overseas via telephone or encrypted internet calling platforms.

Justice Asif affirmed the government's stance that existing prison regulations restrict inmate telecommunication facilities exclusively to contacts residing within Pakistan.

The court concluded that expanding communication channels beyond national jurisdiction presents security and monitoring challenges not authorized under current prison manuals. The ruling reinforces the government's policy framework regulating inmate privileges at Adiala Jail amid broader political and legal debates over prison management in the federal capital.