Adiala Jail overcrowded with around 8,000 inmates, says superintendent

Adiala Jail currently houses around 8,000 inmates, exceeding its designated capacity, superintendent Sajid Baig has said.

Speaking about the situation, Baig said that overcrowding remained a major issue at the prison, while the government was considering measures to address the growing number of inmates.

He said that construction of a new jail in Islamabad would help reduce the inmate population at Adiala Jail by around half.

Baig said that prisoners’ rights were not compromised and judicial officers regularly visited the facility to monitor conditions. He said six male doctors and one female doctor were posted at the jail, which had medical facilities including ECG, ultrasound and dental care.

The superintendent said that Adiala Jail had around 100 inmates living with HIV. He said most of these inmates had contracted HIV before entering the prison.

Baig also claimed that the medical facilities available at Adiala Jail were extensive and, in some cases, might not be readily available to inmates outside the prison.