CJP irked at condition of psychiatric hospital inside Peshawar prison

PESHAWAR: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar Wednesday visited Central Jail Peshawar, where he expressed displeasure over deplorable state of a psychiatric hospital inside the prison.

During his visit to the prison, the chief justice visited different parts of the prison. Justice Nisar inquired why the hospital was inside the prison and whether a hospital is supposed to be in such a state.

KP Health Secretary Abid Majeed told the chief justice that another psychiatric hospital had been under construction since 2012. He added that work on the hospital had not yet been completed for the government was not releasing funds.

During the visit, the chief justice asked the in-charge if patients spent their days lying on beds or there were arrangements for them to pass their time outside.

The chief justice asked where patients were made to sit when they left their rooms. To this, the hospital administration said benches were arranged for the patients when they came out of their wards.

Justice Nisar also summoned Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to the prison, who showed up over the chief justice’s orders.

However, in his conversation with journalists, the chief minister said that he had come to meet the chief justice and was not there for a hearing.

Moreover, during the visit, the IG Prisons informed the chief justice that they will start shifting the prisoners to the new jail from next month.

He made the statement after Justice Nisar expressed dismay seeing the prison overcrowded with inmates.

Prior to this, the chief justice had also visited the psychiatric hospital in Lahore after he received complaints of mismanagement at the facility. The hospital visit was planned over the case of a woman reportedly with mental disabilities, who was on a death row.

On his previous visit to Peshawar, the chief justice had ordered action against bogus clinics and quacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.