PHC CJ says introducing drastic reforms for prisons

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim said on Thursday that they were introducing drastic reforms for prisons, which would be a model for the entire world.

“Many prisons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are overcrowded, with facilities designed for 100 inmates housing over 400 prisoners,” he said while speaking at an event on prison reforms held at the Judicial Academy here.

He said that the large number of inmates arrested in drug-related cases was putting massive pressure on the prison system. To address this issue, he said the judiciary was working on reforms that would serve as a model for the world.

He added that the government must also take steps to control the issue of drugs and establish rehabilitation centres to reintegrate drug addicts into society, enabling the younger generation to rid themselves of this curse.

He revealed that 90 percent of prisoners arrested in drug-related cases are addicts, which is a significant burden on the prisons. The rise in drug-related cases, particularly the problem of addiction, requires urgent action.

The CJ said that the initiative for prison reforms was spearheaded by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi and today’s event reflected this effort. He said that such measures should have been taken earlier, but work on reforms is now underway.

The event, he added, had brought together all stakeholders, including the police, the Home Department, elected representatives, and government officials, as reforms in prisons required collective efforts.

He pointed out that many prisons in the province lacked seasonal facilities for inmates, and providing adequate facilities in women’s and juvenile prisons is essential.Recalling his own time in prison in 2007, he said that the Dar-ul-Aman (shelter homes) were being run solely on a declaration without any specific legislation.The CJ said that the number of pending cases in courts was gradually decreasing. He added that efforts were being made to further reduce the backlog of cases.