Politics steals spotlight at prison reform moot

Maryam, Afridi recount separate jail ordeals Four provinces back reform plan Supreme Court adopts Islamabad Decl

ISLAMABAD:

A conference intended to put Pakistan's prison system under the microscope instead saw politics take centre stage on Thursday, as the chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa used the Supreme Court forum to recount the plight of political prisoners rather than unveil concrete remedies for the thousands of inmates packed into the country's overcrowded jails.

Convened under the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), the conference ended with the four provincial governments backing the Islamabad Declaration and pledging to pursue coordinated reforms aimed at easing overcrowding, improving prison conditions and strengthening rehabilitation across the country.

In his keynote address, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi observed that prisons reflect the true pulse of the criminal justice system and emphasised that meaningful reform requires shared institutional responsibility and sustained leadership from the provinces.

He welcomed the collective commitment of provincial governments to advancing the NJPMC's National Prison Reform Action Plan through coordinated and practical reforms.

Although the chief justice succeeded in bringing all four chief ministers together under one roof, the conference concluded without addressing concerns surrounding political prisoners.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, in his address, highlighted the hardships faced by former prime minister Imran Khan in jail and urged the chief justice to look into the matter.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, meanwhile, spoke about her own imprisonment during the PTI government, recounting the hardships she endured while in custody.

Notably, Federal Constitutional Court Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar did not attend the conference.

Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, who himself spent several months in jail, said the so-called Islamabad Declaration on prison reform was largely a media exercise lacking seriousness and substance.

"It contains broad promises but no specific actions, timelines, accountability, or implementation mechanism."

"Pakistan already has numerous reports, laws, and prison rules; the real problem is their poor enforcement. Meaningful prison reform requires implementation of existing laws, not another declaration or conference," said Chaudhry.

In his address, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that while his provincial government was constructing waiting areas for visitors outside prisons, similar arrangements should also be made at Adiala Jail for visitors, including PTI workers.

He further urged that water cannons should not be used against the sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan during their visits.

The chief minister expressed concern over Imran Khan's "deteriorating health," claiming that 85 per cent of the vision in one of his eyes had been affected. He requested the chief justice to ensure that the former prime minister was provided access to his personal doctors for treatment, that family members were allowed regular meetings, and that he be permitted to speak to his sons through video link.

Afridi said that, in line with the vision of his leadership, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was extending similar facilities to prisoners in the province's jails.

He further stated that Pakistan has a Constitution but that it was not being fully implemented, adding that the Constitution is the guarantor of national unity and must be upheld.

The chief minister also criticised restrictions on public gatherings, saying that while assemblies are permitted in a democracy, FIRs were being registered against participants, including terrorism charges against underage PTI supporters.

He concluded by saying that prison reforms should begin with Adiala Jail.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also reflected on her imprisonment, saying the experience had profoundly shaped her outlook on prison reform.

She said prison life taught her "the pain of separation in its cruelest form", recalling that while she and her father were incarcerated, her mother became seriously ill.

"For days, neither of us could speak to her. We could not sit beside her, hold her hand, or comfort her in her final moments. She left this world while we remained behind prison walls," she said.

Maryam said she now stands not only as chief minister of Pakistan's largest province but also as someone who has experienced incarceration firsthand.

"The reforms I will be talking about today stem from my own personal experiences. I have lived them, experienced them firsthand, and that experience changed me forever."

She noted that Punjab operates one of the country's largest prison systems, comprising 45 prisons housing more than 69,000 inmates against an authorised capacity of around 39,000.

She said overcrowding was only one aspect of the problem, pointing out that nearly three-fourths of inmates were undertrial prisoners.

"Prison reforms cannot be pursued in isolation; they must go hand-in-hand with broader criminal justice reforms."

The chief minister said her government had introduced emergency call buttons and alarm systems in prison cells across Punjab.

"Every prison cell is now equipped with emergency systems so that no inmate is ever left without a way to call for immediate assistance," she said, adding that timely response to distress calls is essential as "human life cannot wait behind locked doors".

Maryam also revealed that she had experienced solitary confinement during her imprisonment.

 

Islamabad Declaration

At the conclusion of the conference, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar read out the conference declaration, titled the Islamabad Declaration.

"We, the Chief Ministers of the Provinces of Pakistan, convened under the auspices of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, affirm our shared commitment to a coordinated national effort to reform provincial prison systems.

"We recognise that Pakistan's prisons are operating under serious strain, with overcrowding, a high proportion of under trial prisoners, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to healthcare and mental health services, and insufficient opportunities for rehabilitation, education and vocational training.

"We acknowledge that these challenges affect not only prison administration, but also access to justice, public safety, human dignity and the rule of law.

"We reaffirm that all persons deprived of liberty retain their fundamental rights under the Constitution of Pakistan, including the rights to life, dignity, fair trial and humane treatment.

"We further recognise Pakistan's obligations under international human rights standards, including those relating to the treatment of prisoners, women in detention, children in conflict with the law, persons with disabilities, and the use of non-custodial measures.

"We recognise that meaningful and sustained prison reform requires coordinated action across the executive, judiciary and legislature, while respecting the constitutional roles of each branch of government.

"We further recognise that provincial governments bear primary responsibility for the administration, resourcing and reform of prisons.

"Accordingly, all CM commit to reducing unnecessary incarceration, particularly of under trial prisoners, by strengthening access to bail, legal aid, probation, parole, diversion and other non-custodial alternatives, especially for women, children, persons with disabilities, persons with mental health conditions, and those detained for minor, poverty-related or non-violent offences.

"Second, reviewing provincial laws, rules, policies and administrative practices governing arrest, detention, sentencing, prison management, probation, parole and rehabilitation, with a view to reducing overcrowding and aligning prison administration with constitutional and human rights standards.

"Third, improving prison conditions through increased investment in infrastructure, sanitation, nutrition, healthcare, mental health services, complaint redressal, and safeguards against torture, ill-treatment and neglect.

"Fourth, promoting rehabilitation and reintegration by expanding education, vocational training, psychosocial support, drug treatment, skills development and post-release support for persons in custody.

"Fifth, strengthening coordination across the criminal justice system, including prison departments, police, prosecution, probation and parole services, legal aid institutions, health and social welfare departments, and the judiciary, to support efficient case processing and timely access to justice.

"Sixth, establishing provincial implementation mechanisms to develop time-bound reform plans, identify priority actions, allocate resources, collect data, and monitor progress against agreed indicators.

"Seventh, reporting regularly on implementation to the agreed national prison reform coordination mechanism, including progress on reducing overcrowding, improving detention conditions, expanding non-custodial alternatives, and strengthening rehabilitation services."

The four chief ministers concluded by affirming that prison reform is not merely an administrative necessity but "a constitutional, humanitarian and public safety imperative. We commit to working together to build a prison system that is lawful, humane, rehabilitative and consistent with the dignity of every person".