The Accountability Court hearing the multibillion rupees fake bank accounts case on Friday linked provision of air-conditioning facility to former president Asif Ali Zardari in jail with doctors' opinion. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir was hearing the former president's petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the jail authorities for non-provision of Better Class to him. The court while announcing its reserved judgment asked the jail authorities to provide air-conditioning facility to Zardari in jail as per the advice of doctors. The judge remarked, "Provide air-conditioner to Zardari if doctors consider it necessary for him."
Earlier during the hearing, the defense counsel told the court that the jail authorities did not provide air conditioner to Zardari despite the court's order. The judge asked an official of jail, "If Better Class prisoner can avail air-conditioning facility then why you are not providing the same to Zardari."
The jail official replied that air-conditioning facility had been provided to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds. He also said that the under-trial prisoner was examined by medical board on August 21. According to the recommendation of said medical board, he was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on August 29 for further medical checkup. He said that on August 30, he (Zardari) was discharged from PIMS. As per reports and discharge slip, the medical board has advised medication and physiotherapy, which are being provided to him. "The doctors had not admitted him in the hospital on August 29," he further said.
The judge again asked the official, "If the law allows provision of air-conditioning facility to the prisoner then provide it. Follow the law instead of following the precedents." During the previous hearing, Adiala Jail authorities informed the Accountability Court that an LCD television, newspaper, journals and books have been provided to Zardari and they have written a letter to home department Punjab regarding provision of air-conditioning facility to him as, according to Pakistan Prisoner Rules (PPR) 1978, jail is not furnished with an air-conditioner.
As per the report submitted by the jail superintendent, Better Class facilities have been provided to Zardari according to the PPR Rules 1978. As per rules 261 of PPR 1978, the Better Class prisoner may subject to reasonable limits including wearing their own clothes and arranging their own bed/mattress, shoes, table (maximum limit 24 inches), chair, television (maximum 21 inch screen), radio, toiletries, newspaper and other such accessories at their own expenses, and the government will not bear any expenditures on the provision of any facility to a Better Class prisoner other than those to which any ordinary class prisoner is entitled to.
The report said that the jail authorities provided an LCD television, newspaper, journals, books and physiotherapy chair to Zardari. Later, the court heard Aseefa Bhutto Zardari's application seeking contempt of court proceedings against the jail authorities for not allowing her to meet her father despite the court order. The jail official told the court that they did not violate the court order. The court ordered jail authorities to submit a written reply regarding the matter and adjourned hearing of the case till September 18.
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