Findings of the Report During the inquiry, NCHR has prime facia come across numerous instances of torture against the inmates of the Rawalpindi Jail. Of the 35 inmates interviewed, 26 inmates spoke about instances of torture and extortion. This is a staggering 74%. These instances are across the board affecting prisoners in nearly all barracks of the facility and the stories recounted were more or less the same. Torture ranged from physical beatings with a rubber tire to solitary confinement. Almost all prisoners 100% interviewed talked about financial extortion for each and every rightful facility provided at the jail. Synopsis of statements of detainees is attached as Annex E (Names withheld for safety of inmates concerned) Types of torture & details of cruel, inhuman & degrading treatment According to statements by prisoners, torture begins from the instance the prisoner is presented to the Superintendent in what is known as a ‘Mulahiza’ or introduction. Mulahiza [literally ‘inspection’] is an interview with the superintendent of the prison. A group of new prisoners gather in the courtyard and one by one are called out to appear before the superintendent. Questions are shouted out by a deputy superintendent. With every answer the prisoner gives, he receives a slap on the nape of the neck. It comes unexpectedly at first and with full force. The slap or ‘thaap’ is meant to subdue a prisoner’s ego and to show him who’s in charge. The extent of abuse and degrading treatment depends on the superintendent’s style as an administrator. The prisoners were then taken inside the ‘chakkar’ and beaten with leather straps some more. According to one inmate, after sufficient time being behind bars, a prisoner feels the fatigue within him; after years he himself becomes a tormentor. Some of the prisoners are transferred to other jails under what is known as a ‘qusoori challan’ — alluding to the central role played by the accused in an act of indiscipline and disobedience. This is a standard procedure in all jails. Under a qusoori challan, a notification is issued by a jail superintendent to transfer a prisoner to another jail for “administrative 12