Inmate seeks education remission

The Sindh cabinet meeting held at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday was informed that the brother of an inmate at Karachi Central Jail, Zohaib Rehman, has filed a Constitutional Petition (CP) before the high court seeking education remission in favour of his brother, Junaid Rehman.

Under the Rules, “a convicted prisoner who has already passed any examination specified in the rules may appear in any one of the said examinations in an academic year, and shall on passing such examination be entitled to earn remission.”

The cabinet was informed that Junaid had passed the Quran Nazra in the first position, which made him eligible for a three month remission. Besides, among other qualifications, he has cleared BCom in first position from the University of Karachi, which makes him eligible for 10 month remission. The petitioner prayed that the inmate was convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 but educational remissions could not be granted to him due to the amendment in the law in 2013. He pleaded that since Junaid was convicted in 2005, prior to the 2013 amendment, he may be granted educational remission.

The CM said that Junaid has languished in prison for 15 years and might qualify for bail or release. Constituting a committee under Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani, provincial advisor on law, Murtaza Wahab, and prisons advisor, Aijaz Jakhrani, the CM tasked them to visit Junaid in prison and submit their recommendations on human and legal grounds at the next cabinet meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2021.