Woman prisoner earns freedom

Following the inclusion of the Balochi and Brahvi Literature in the jail manual of the Balochistan prisons, the first Baloch woman inmate has been released after she cleared the exam.

“Rabia Kanwal who passed the Balochi literature exam has been released,” Parliamentary Secretary Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Rubaba Khan Buledi said on Thursday.

Talking to APP, she said the implementation of the laws to reduce imprisonment through the Balochi literature test in the education manual of Balochistan prison rules has been initiated.

Rabia Kanwal is the first female prisoner who passed the Balochi language test in the prison manual and benefited from the facility of reduction of punishment under the law.

“The facility is available for all those prisoners who will pass the exam in the local languages of the province including Balochi, Brahui, Pashto and Persian under the prescribed syllabus,” she said.

The Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu and other languages had been included in the prison manual of Balochistan since the establishment of Pakistan but there was no provision of local languages.

The local languages including Balochi and Brahui were not included, depriving them of getting any relief as it was impossible for the locals to learn a completely foreign language like Bengali.

Dr Rubaba noted that on the request of the female prisoners, the issue was placed before the Balochistan Cabinet, keeping in mind the sensitivity and nature of the issue, the Balochistan Cabinet approved in principle the necessary amendments on a proposal of the prisons department.

As a result of amendments, Rabia Kanwal, the first female prisoner in the history of Balochistan, has been released.