NCHR’s team comprising of Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha, Member Punjab Nadeem Ashraf, and Legal Counsel Waqar Ahmad visited Adiala Jail eight times during the course of this investigation and met with numerous inmates to take their statements for the compilation of an inquiry report for Islamabad High Court Report on Torture at Adiala Jail During the inquiry, NCHR came across numerous instances of torture against the inmates of the Rawalpindi Jail; of the 35 inmates who recorded their statements, 26 prisoners (74%) alleged torture and various types of inhuman and degrading treatment. Accounts of torture range from physical beatings to solitary confinement – a violation of Rule 44 of the Mandela Rules. During its investigation, NCHR also found that Adiala Jail experiences overcrowding (6,098 inmates housed in a jail built for 2,174), lacks medical personnel and an adequate medical budget, inedible food, and a system steeped in financial extortion. Almost all prisoners (100%) interviewed talked about financial extortion for each and every rightful facility provided at the jail. The report also included NCHR’s detailed recommendations relating to the legislation and criminalisation of torture, custodial torture at Adiala, the improvement of the juvenile justice system, the establishment of Human Rights Courts, and the operationalisation of other mechanisms and authorities to improve and regulate the prison system in the country. The Manual for Investigating Torture Complaints NCHR also prepared a manual for police and medico-legal examiners on the best practices of investigating torture complaints based on domestic law and international standards. 9