More than half of all prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails have not been convicted: report.

ISLAMABAD -- An alarming number of prisoners who are languishing in jails across the four provinces have not been convicted and are thus contributing to overcrowding in prisons, says a report submitted on Saturday by a commission constituted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). On November 22, 2019, the IHC had constituted a commission to ensure civil liberties of prisoners. The court had converted the complaint of a convict, Khadim Hussain, into a petition that highlighted the negligence of the executive authorities which had caused damage to the complainant's eyesight. During Saturday's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari appeared before the court and presented a report of the com mission regarding jail reforms and the situation of prisoners. According to the report, under-trial prisoners constitute more than half of the prison population in all four provinces. An alarming 71 per cent of all prisoners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are unconvicted.

The propor tion is 70pc in Sindh, 55pc in Punjab and 59pc in Balochistan. 'Even though these prisoners have not yet been convicted of any offences they are languishing in prisons and contributing to overcrowding,' says...