ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday rejected pleas of three prisoners seeking treatment at private hospitals and permission to communicate with family members.
Justice Muhammad Asif heard separate petitions filed by prisoners Ilyas Khan, Muhammad Ismail and Awais Altaf.
The high court in view of the Supreme Court’s decision dismissed the prisoner’s plea to communicate with family members abroad.
The court released its written verdict on petitions with regard to facilities to prisoners.
The petitioners pleaded for treatment at private hospitals and formation of medical board.
The court stated that the imprisonment means legal curb on freedom, “Every technical facility could not be declared as fundamental right. An inmate has no legal right to be shifted to a private hospital of choice,” according to the verdict.
“The treatment of a prisoner is the basic responsibility of the state and the administrative structure of government hospitals,” court observed. “The jail rules provide a mechanism for shifting of a prisoner to an outside hospital, if required”, court said.
“If a government hospital could not provide treatment than the authorities could consider private facility on the recommendation of a medical board,” according to the court.
The court directed the jail administration to provide all medical facilities to prisoners as per the law.
