Three inmates at Adiala Jail have approached the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to receive treatment at private hospitals and consult doctors of their choice, citing a recent Supreme Court precedent involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
Justice Muhammad Asif issued notices to the superintendent of Adiala Jail on Monday and sought a point-by-point response to the petitions by August 27.
The petitions were filed by Ilyas Khan, Ismail Khan and Owais Altaf.
During the hearing, counsel for the prisoners raised concerns about their medical condition and access to appropriate treatment.
Barrister Akhtar Cheena, representing Ismail Khan, told the court that his client suffers from haemophilia, a condition that can cause prolonged bleeding, and had experienced internal bleeding.
He said Ismail had been taken to hospital 10 times over the past two months without improvement.
According to the counsel, the treatment required by Ismail is currently available in Pakistan only at Shifa International Hospital.
He argued that under the Supreme Court ruling, a prisoner may be transferred to a private hospital when the required treatment is unavailable at a government facility, with the cost borne by the prisoner’s family.
Counsel for Owais Altaf, Syed Jaffar, appeared through video link and told the court that his client was suffering from fever and a heart condition.
He argued that access to adequate medical treatment was a basic right of prisoners and requested that Altaf be shifted from a government hospital to Shifa International Hospital.
The court was also told that Ismail has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail for nine years. His lawyer said his brother lives in Dubai and that the two had been unable to communicate for years.
The counsel requested that jail authorities be directed to allow Ismail to speak to his brother by telephone.
The court’s response will determine whether the inmates can receive treatment at a private hospital and have requested family contact.
