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Nearly three out of four prisoners in Pakistan are being held without conviction, highlighting growing pressure on the countrys criminal justice system, according to a policy paper by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, the report, titled Beyond the Prison Wall: Reducing Overcrowding in Pakistans Prisons, found that under-trial prisoners made up 73.41 per cent of Pakistans prison population in 2024. The figure has risen considerably from 66 per cent recorded in 2017. The HRCP report also highlighted the extent of overcrowding across the country. During July and August 2024, Pakistans prisons were functioning at an average of 152.2 per cent of their officially approved capacity. The HRCP argues that expanding prison infrastructure alone will not resolve the crisis. It attributes overcrowding largely to shortcomings in the criminal justice system, including weak bail procedures, lengthy trials and the excessive use of pre-trial detention. Punjab presents an especially severe picture. Official prison figures cited in the report showed that the province housed 74,773 prisoners across 45 prisons in September 2026, despite having a sanctioned capacity of only 39,204 inmates. The occupancy level consequently reached 190.73 per cent. As many as 54,932 prisoners were awaiting trial. The report noted that Punjab has considerably expanded its prison infrastructure through the construction of additional prisons, barracks and other facilities. However, the expansion has failed to keep pace with the rising inmate population. In 2010, Punjab had 52,803 prisoners against a capacity of 21,527, while overcrowding in the province was recorded at 173.6 per cent in 2024, as cited by The Express Tribune. HRCP identified arbitrary arrests, sluggish investigations and prolonged prosecution as key reasons for the growing under-trial population. Many accused people reportedly spend months or years in detention while awaiting investigations and court proceedings, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)
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