Five jail officials suspended over torturing prisoner

LAHORE: The Punjab government is strictly enforcing its zero-tolerance policy against violations of jail rules and abuse of authority.

In a recent move, the Punjab home secretary has ordered the suspension of five officials of the District Jail Attock for their involvement in the torture of an inmate. The suspended officials are Deputy Superintendent Sarwar Hassan, Assistant Superintendent Mushtaq Ahmed, Chief Warden Muhammad Rafiq, Head Warden Zulfiqar and Warden Muhammad Ayub. They were found guilty of misconduct, negligence and exceeding their official powers.

Disciplinary action under the Peeda Act has been initiated, and the suspended officials have been directed to report to the Punjab Prisons Inspectorate. Earlier, due to weak supervision, Superintendent Arif Shehzad was removed from his position and ordered to report to the Directorate of Prisons Punjab. Ishtiaq Ahmed Gul has been appointed as the new superintendent of District Jail Attock.

According to a spokesperson for the Home Department, clear regulations are in place for prison management, and any form of torture against prisoners is strictly prohibited. The department reiterated its commitment to upholding the law and maintaining accountability across all jails in Punjab.