THERE are complaints of maltreatment of women prisoners in violation of jail manual and other relevant laws. Federal Ombudsman had submitted a report to the Supreme Court in April that highlighted pathetic conditions of women prisoners that are languishing in jails. A three member bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Hasan and Justice Munib Akhtar directe the concerned authorities to implement the Ombudsman report on improving women prisoners’ condition and ensure standard environment for female inmates.
Larger part of the report has to be implemented by the provincial governments as jails reforms fall within their domain. In Pakistan women prisoners are reported to have developed depression, mental stress, and mental illness, sleep disorders and generalized anxiety. There are also reports that women prisoners receive less support from their families as compared with men inmates. Ironically, 30 percent of women prisoners include divorced and separated females.
The miserable condition of women prisoner is an issue of human rights abuses. The Ministry of Human Rights compiled a report on the condition of women prisoners, titled “Plight of Women in Prisons.’ The report states that women in prisons face poor environment and inadequate medical care. The report was submitted to the Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 26, 2020, which reveals that Pakistan’s Prison laws did not meet the international standard and the officials even ignore the existing outdated laws. It is very pathetic that out of 1,121 women prisoners 66 percent have not committed serious crimes or offenses. They are waiting for the conclusion of trials. These women prisoners should have been released on probation.
