Lahore: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, has emphasized the necessity of reforming the country’s prison system to ensure it is humane and effective, aligning with a fair legal framework. During a consultative meeting on prison reforms in Lahore, he expressed grave concerns about the alarming overcrowding in prisons across the nation.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Justice Afridi highlighted the disparity between the prison capacity and the actual number of inmates. The total capacity of prisons across Pakistan is 66,625, but currently, they house 108,643 inmates. In Punjab alone, the capacity is 36,365, yet there are 67,837 prisoners, with 36,128 of those awaiting trial.
The Chief Justice stressed the urgency of addressing these issues and marked the meeting as an initial step towards comprehensive reforms needed to alleviate overcrowding and improve conditions within the prison system.