ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Friday directed the government to release prisoners involved in minor crimes to stem the spread of coronavirus as the country has recorded over 400 confirmed COVID-19 cases with three deaths.
In 113 operational jails of the country, more than 75,000 prisoners are kept against the capacity of around 60,000 inmates. The official data shows only 25,990 prisoners are convicted out of the total in different crimes while around 46,000 are still under trial.
“If a prisoner contracts coronavirus [in the jail], it will be difficult to control the situation,” Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minallah remarked while hearing a petition regarding the release of 1,362 under trial prisoners.
The court has directed the Islamabad district administration to look into the matter and release all under trial prisoners on bail from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Pakistani prisons are overcrowded and pose various health risks. Hundreds of inmates in different jails are said to be suffering from different diseases including HIV, hepatitis B and C, and tuberculosis. Under the circumstances, many fear that prisoners are also at risk of contracting and spreading the deadly coronavirus.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat informed the court that no prisoner was infected with the virus so far, though he also added that the authorities would comply with the court order and release the inmates involved in petty crimes.
The district administration has constituted a two-member committee in the wake of the court order to release these criminals. The jurisdiction of the Islamabad High Court extends to the federal capital only, making it suggest to the provincial administrations to avoid “unnecessary arrests” and release petty criminals through executive order.
Currently, there are 5,001 prisoners in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail against the capacity of 2,174 inmates. Among them, trials of 1,362 detainees are pending before various courts in the federal capital.
Human rights activists and organizations working for the well-being of prisoners have applauded the verdict and urged the provincial governments to follow suit.
“It is a wonderful initiative by the high court to consider releasing under trial prisoners facing petty charges,” Ali Haider Habib, spokesperson for the Justice Project Pakistan, a non-profit organization based in Lahore that works for vulnerable prisoners, told Arab News.
He lauded the government and the judiciary for “safeguarding and protecting prisoners, prison staff and their families in this difficult time.”
Pakistani court asks government to release petty criminals to prevent COVID-19 spread
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Pakistani court asks government to release petty criminals to prevent COVID-19 spread
- More than 75,000 prisoners are jailed in 113 prisons against the capacity of 60,000 inmates in the country, says the official data
- Islamabad district administration to release 1,362 under trial detainees languishing in Adiala Jail
Pakistan high court pauses tree-cutting in Islamabad until Feb. 2
- Islamabad High Court asks CDA to ‘explain and justify’ tree-cutting at next hearing
- CDA officials say 29,000 trees were cut due to allergies, deny felling in green belts
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has ordered an immediate halt to tree-cutting in the federal capital until Feb. 2, seeking justification from civic authorities over the legality of a large-scale felling drive that has seen thousands of trees removed in recent months.
The interim order, issued by a single-judge bench led by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, came during proceedings on a petition challenging the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) tree-cutting operations in Islamabad’s Shakarparian area and H-8 sector.
At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that trees were being felled in violation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the city’s master plan.
“Respondents shall not cut trees till the next date of hearing,” Justice Soomro said in the court order released on Friday while referring to CDA officials.
“Respondents are directed to come fully prepared and to file paragraph-wise comments before the next date of hearing, along with a comprehensive report explaining the justification and legal basis for the cutting of trees,” he added.
According to the court order, the petitioner maintained that the CDA had not made any public disclosure regarding the legal basis for the operation and that the felling was causing environmental harm.
The petition sought access to the official record of tree-cutting activities and called for the penalization of CDA officials responsible for the act under relevant criminal and environmental laws.
It also urged the court to impose a moratorium on infrastructure projects in Islamabad, order large-scale replanting as compensation and constitute a judicial commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the alleged violations.
CDA officials acknowledge around 29,000 paper mulberry trees have been cut in the capital in recent months, arguing that the species triggers seasonal allergies such as sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal congestion.
They also maintain that no trees have been removed from designated green belts and that the number of replacement trees planted exceeds those felled.
Designed in the 1960s by Greek architect Constantinos Doxiadis, Islamabad was conceived as a low-density city with green belts and protected natural zones at its core.
Critics, however, say the recent felling has extended beyond paper mulberry trees and question whether authorities are adhering to the city’s master plan and the legal protections governing forested and green areas.
The court has adjourned its hearing until Feb. 2, 2026.
