Temporary court lock-ups at the Rawalpindi District Courts and Judicial Complex are operating without adequate drinking water and ventilation, prompting concerns over the welfare of undertrial prisoners being held there while awaiting court appearances.
Broken water cooler and non-functional fans
According to officials and visitors, the only water cooler installed at the lock-ups has remained out of order for the past two months, with its taps also damaged. Most ceiling fans are reportedly non-functional, while poor sanitation and inadequate maintenance of the washrooms have resulted in unpleasant conditions.
Undertrial prisoners brought from Adiala Jail for court hearings are routinely kept in the temporary holding cells from around 9am until 4pm before being escorted to various courtrooms. With little ventilation and soaring temperatures, the lock-ups reportedly become extremely hot, leaving detainees, including women, to endure uncomfortable conditions for several hours.
Health concerns and expensive bottled water
Visitors said many prisoners are forced to drink warm water because no chilled drinking water is available. They claimed this has contributed to health concerns, while those who can afford it purchase bottled mineral water, which is allegedly sold at inflated prices within the court premises.
Officials of the subordinate judiciary and the police have reportedly cited a lack of funds for their inability to replace the defective water cooler. A senior official at the lock-up said the existing cooler had been donated by a non-governmental organisation around three years ago and had since become beyond repair.
Efforts to find donor for replacement
He added that efforts were under way to trace the donor organisation in the hope that it would provide a replacement water cooler for the prisoners. The sanitation system has also been affected after several daily-wage sanitary workers reportedly left their jobs because of low wages and delayed salary payments, leading to a deterioration in the cleanliness of the washrooms at both the Judicial Complex and District Courts.
Relatives demand action
Relatives of prisoners, including Azhar Ali, Nouroz Khan, Arjumand Ali and Rashid Qayyum, said they had repeatedly raised the issue of drinking water, ventilation and cooling facilities with the police and district administration but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.
