Islamabad, March 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Even though prisoners are entitled to adequate living arrangements that are hygienic - including food, clothing and medical care - in Pakistan, they are being treated like chicken coops with no introduction of reform or rehabilitation. The current situation in prisons of Pakistan makes the protection of these rights almost impossible, a report has stated.
According to a prison data report for 2024, prisons in Pakistan are functioning at 152.2 per cent capacity on average. Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered courts across the country to be careful with bail applications and decide them with increased sensitivity. The top court's verdict states that bail will be granted only in exceptional cases. The court stressed the need to swiftly deal with the pending cases, which currently stand at 2.2 million.
"This extremely serious backlog of cases further makes prison reforms difficult, as incarcerated individuals are often stuck in the system for decades simply waiting for or undergoing trial. Under-trial prisoners make up about 73.41 per cent of the total prison population in Pakistan. Adding to the persistent problem of the backlog of cases and inadequate space in prisons, the country's judicial system is known for over-incarcerating individuals, especially when it comes to drug-related offences, instead of instating a process that prioritises access to drug rehabilitation programmes," an editorial in leading Pakistani daily 'The Express Tribune' stated.
The newspaper highlighted that while prisoners do not have complete constitutional rights, they are still entitled to the right to dignity. They are entitled to the right to access rehabilitation services since the purpose of incarceration is to protect society and reduce recidivism.
"Around 2,000 juvenile offenders also make up the total residential population of prisons, and they face equally dire conditions as everyone else. Around 90 per cent of these offenders are awaiting trials. Prisons are simply treated like chicken coops in this country, with no regard to reform or rehabilitation. Prisoners are a problem no one is willing to deal with," The Express Tribune added.
Source: IANS
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