ISLAMABAD: Around 450 prisoners in Pakistan’s populous Punjab province have been granted a special 90-day remission in their sentences ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Punjab government announced on Thursday.
Pakistani leaders traditionally announce sentence remissions for prisoners on religious festivals and other special occasions like Independence Day.
These remissions are intended as goodwill gestures to promote rehabilitation and allow selected inmates to reunite with their families during important national and religious occasions.
“Prisoners in Punjab’s jails have been given a special 90-day sentence remission,” the Punjab administration said in a statement, adding “450 inmates will benefit” from the decision.
Two hundred and seventy prisoners out of 450 will be released from Punjab’s jails and be able to celebrate Eid with their families, it added.
The sentence remission was granted by the Punjab government under Rule 216 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.
Prisoners convicted of militancy, sectarianism, espionage, treason, anti-state activities, murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, kidnapping, financial embezzlement or causing loss to the national treasury, as well as those punished for violating jail rules within the past year, will not be eligible for sentence remission.
Earlier this year in March, President Asif Ali Zardari announced a special 180-day remission in sentences for eligible prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.
He had also approved similar remissions for prisoners on Pakistan Day and Eid Al-Fitr last year.
