RAWALPINDI, May 10: More than 15-hour-long power outage and
shortage of drinking water left the inmates of Adiala jail sweltering on
Thursday.
The power breakdown started at around 2.30am and continued till 6pm.
When contacted, the superintendent of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco), Shahid Mehmood, said there had been ‘forced loadshedding’ in and around the jail since Wednesday.
In addition, a technical fault developed in the electric lines, which was repaired and the power supply to the area restored in the evening, he added.
Some time later, however, the power supply to the jail was suspended again after a fault in the Shahpur feeder.
Mr Shahid added: “We are also trying to fix the fault in the feeder.” However, he did not give any timeframe when the power supply to the jail housing about 4,800 prisoners would be restored.
The administration of the jail was using generators to run tubewells but that too had to be switched off due to heating. At night, one of the telephone lines also collapsed.
With the prolonged power cut, extra patrol by law enforcers was started around the jail housing prisoners more than double to its capacity, including 75 involved in high-profile terrorism cases.
According to an inmate, majority of the prisoners sweltered in the heat, as there was neither electricity nor water. “It looked as if you are in an oven and cannot escape,” he said.
He added: “Routinely, the prisoners are subjected to ‘rigours’ from 5am to 2pm while in the rest of the hours they have to fight against healthy mosquitoes.”
Superintendent of the jail Malik Mushtaq also said it was ‘forced loadshedding.
“We will register a criminal case against Iesco officials in case any untoward incident occurs in the jail, because all our security gadgets are run by electricity.”
The power breakdown started at around 2.30am and continued till 6pm.
When contacted, the superintendent of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco), Shahid Mehmood, said there had been ‘forced loadshedding’ in and around the jail since Wednesday.
In addition, a technical fault developed in the electric lines, which was repaired and the power supply to the area restored in the evening, he added.
Some time later, however, the power supply to the jail was suspended again after a fault in the Shahpur feeder.
Mr Shahid added: “We are also trying to fix the fault in the feeder.” However, he did not give any timeframe when the power supply to the jail housing about 4,800 prisoners would be restored.
The administration of the jail was using generators to run tubewells but that too had to be switched off due to heating. At night, one of the telephone lines also collapsed.
With the prolonged power cut, extra patrol by law enforcers was started around the jail housing prisoners more than double to its capacity, including 75 involved in high-profile terrorism cases.
According to an inmate, majority of the prisoners sweltered in the heat, as there was neither electricity nor water. “It looked as if you are in an oven and cannot escape,” he said.
He added: “Routinely, the prisoners are subjected to ‘rigours’ from 5am to 2pm while in the rest of the hours they have to fight against healthy mosquitoes.”
Superintendent of the jail Malik Mushtaq also said it was ‘forced loadshedding.
“We will register a criminal case against Iesco officials in case any untoward incident occurs in the jail, because all our security gadgets are run by electricity.”
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