Three prisoners incarcerated in the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore died mysteriously in a single day, jail sources said on Saturday. According to police sources, the prisoners died due to illness. The deceased prisoners were identified as 24-year-old Naveed Ahmed, 36-year-old Ghulam Rasool and 40-year-old Adnan. According to a Human Rights Watch report, Pakistan has one of the world’s most overcrowded prison systems. As of 2022, many of its 91 jails and prisons were more than 100 percent over capacity. Severe overcrowding has compounded existing health deficiencies in prisons, leaving inmates vulnerable to communicable diseases and unable to access medicine and treatment for even basic health needs. Poor health care intersects with range of other rights violations against prisoners, including torture and mistreatment, and is a key symptom of a broken criminal justice system.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)