Location | Rawalpindi, Pakistan |
---|---|
Status | Not Operational |
Security class | Maximum |
Opened | 1882 [1] |
Closed | 1986 |
Managed by | Government of the Punjab, Home Department |
Notable prisoners | |
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Executed on 4 April 1979 |
District Jail Rawalpindi was a prominent jail in Rawalpindi, Pakistan located opposite Rawalpindi District Courts. It was established in 1882 on an area of 34.14 hectares (84.4 acres). [2] The Jail was inherited by the Punjab Prisons Department besides 18 other Jails after independence.
On 4 April 1979, the former President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged to death in this jail. [3]
In 1986, a new Jail was constructed on Adiala Road nearly 13 kilometres away from the District Courts which was named Central Jail Rawalpindi.
The old jail was demolished in 1988 on the orders of military dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq and the grounds converted into Jinnah Park.
Some, especially activists of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party believe that the District Jail Rawalpindi was demolished to destroy tangible reminders of Bhutto i.e. his death cell, execution gallows etc. which the Party and his children could use to gain sympathies of the world at large and to launch effective political campaign against Zia-ul-Haq. [4]
There is now a small monument marking the exact spot where the gallows Bhutto was hanged from once stood, although it is overshadowed by the McDonald's and multiplex movie theatre which share the park with amusement rides, jogging track and other sports facilities.
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani military officer who served as the 6th president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in 1988. He rose to prominence after leading a coup on 5 July 1977, which overthrew the democratically elected government of prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Zia subsequently imposed martial law, suspended the constitution, and served as chief martial law administrator before assuming the presidency. Zia served as the 2nd chief of the Army Staff from 1976 to 1988, a position he later leveraged to execute a coup in 1977, which was the second coup in Pakistan's history of coups; the first occurred in 1958 under Ayub Khan.
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Central Jail Rawalpindi is a prison located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
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