ISLAMABAD: The federal government has granted special remission for prisoners in jails across Pakistan on account of Eid Milad un Nabi (S.A.W.W).
The Ministry of Interior has issued a notification in this regard over the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The order was sent to all provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) after its approval from the President Dr Arif Alvi and the federal cabinet.
The government granted a 30-day remission to prisoners with life sentences, women, and under-18 convicts as well as those aged 65 and above.
The reduction in sentence, however, will not be applied on prisoners convicted for espionage, terrorism, murder, adultery, robbery, kidnapping or/and anti-state activities.
For female inmates, those women who are 60 years of age or above; have completed 1/3rd of jail term and accompanying children will be granted the special remission in the sentence for 30 days, except the prisoners convicted of culpable homicide and terrorist acts.
It also stated that the juvenile convicts under 18 years of age will get the remission in a sentence who has served 1/3rd of their jail term.
Earlier in September, the Prime Minister directed authorities to implement a Supreme Court decision compelling the release of women prisoners to reduce prison congestion and control the spread of the COVID-19.
Overcrowding remains a major problem in prisons across the country as a November 2019 government report found 77,275 inmates were held in 114 jails with a total capacity of 57,742.
