ISLAMABAD:
Amid PTI’s protests against the lack of legitimate rights of its detained leaders, the National Judicial Policy Development Committee (NJPMC), comprising all chief justices, announced that it would organize a national conference on the ‘Action Plan for Prison Reforms’ in June to promote stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue as part of an inclusive reform process.
Last week, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired the 59th meeting of the NJPMC, which was attended by the Chief Justice of the Federal Shariah Court, Chief Justices of all high courts, the Attorney General of Pakistan and the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
During the meeting, the NJPMC reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the Prison Reform Action Plan, aimed at aligning Pakistan’s prison system with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules).
It was noted that deliberations are actively underway within the provincial justice committees to ensure the adoption of effective, rights-based and sustainable reform measures.
The NJPMC stressed the need for a coordinated and harmonized approach to the implementation of the Action Plan for Prison Reform, with particular emphasis on protecting the rights of prisoners, improving conditions of detention and strengthening institutional accountability.
The NJPMC urged provincial justice committees to take proactive steps to ensure ownership by provincial governments. He tasked the LJCP Secretariat to organize a national conference on the Prison Reform Action Plan in June 2026 to facilitate stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue as part of an inclusive reform process.
He also ordered that a concept note for the proposed conference, containing the objectives, format and list of delegates, be prepared and shared with the high courts for input before finalization.
The higher judiciary is planning to hold a national conference on prison reform at a time when former Prime Minister Imran Khan, through his lawyer, claimed that he and his wife were kept in “solitary and tortuous isolation” for almost 24 hours, without access to books, television, family or lawyers.
Barrister Taimur Malik, counsel for several incarcerated political prisoners including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr Yasmin Rashid, said that while it is positive that an action plan for prison reforms is being considered, such a proposal would be inadequate if it did not timely address the bail, suspension and appeal requests of inmates.
He added that Pakistan’s prisons are overcrowded and most of the problems the reform plan seeks to address stem from this situation.
Malik said there was a need to reduce the prison population, adding that many prisoners under trial or those eligible for bail for bailable offenses could be released while awaiting trial.
Similarly, prisoners eligible for a suspended sentence for reasons such as their age or health could also be released to ease the burden on the prison system.
He cited the example of Ejaz Chaudhry, who was diagnosed with stage three kidney disease and whose health condition is not supported by the prison environment, but whose suspension applications and appeals have not been scheduled for hearing.
He also pointed out that Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been acquitted in all cases in the last three years but remained imprisoned due to a few pending bail cases.
With regard to discouraging false and frivolous litigation, the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, who heads the relevant committee, informed the NJPMC that work to suggest a legislative and policy framework in line with the ‘Cost of Litigation Act, 2017’ (TIC) has started and initial consultations have taken place.
To make the process more inclusive, it was suggested that the draft recommendations be shared with the Ministry of Law and Justice, provincial legal departments and bar councils for their feedback.
It was also suggested that the institutionalization of deferment fees be considered.
The NJPMC appreciated the progress of the committee and reiterated its determination that abuse of court processes must be deterred by strict adherence to existing statutory and procedural provisions.
The Attorney General of Pakistan, in his capacity as Chairman of the Bar Council of Pakistan, assured that the Bar Council would be considered with regard to mechanisms to deal with frequent strikes by lawyers, and the NJPMC will be informed about the progress in its next meeting.
To provide greater flexibility to families in scheduling visitation, improve parent-child interaction, reduce congestion at visitation centers, and promote a more child-centered environment within the court system, the NJPMC has approved child visitation facilities in district courts on public holidays, subject to local requirements and administrative arrangements to be determined by the applicable superior courts.
