In Islamabad, the Supreme Court has issued a directive for the immediate enforcement of regulations pertaining to the release of prisoners on probation.
The Court has mandated that both federal and provincial governments take necessary steps to release individuals who qualify for probation. It further emphasized that the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers should personally oversee the enforcement of these probationary release laws. Prisoners, under this scheme, would retain all their constitutional rights except for freedom of movement.
Justice Athar Manullah, in a five-page ruling, highlighted the severe violations of human rights occurring in prisons across the nation, primarily due to the overcrowding of inmates, which has rendered the provision of constitutional rights virtually impossible. The Court declared that the majority of those suffering due to inadequate prison facilities are economically disadvantaged individuals, and the state has not fulfilled its duty to provide them with affordable and expeditious justice.
The Supreme Court expressed concern that the current criminal justice system allows the powerful to exploit the vulnerable, resulting in a lack of equitable dispensation of justice. Such conditions within the prison system were deemed unacceptable in a constitutional society, necessitating the protection of individuals’ rights.