Free As A Bird: Prisoners with minor offences released

KARACHI: At least 360 under-trail prisoners involved in minor offences were released on Thursday by five district judicial magistrates, as part of the judiciary’s special programme for Ramazan. On the orders of their head judges, the judicial magistrates visited the male, female and juvenile prison facilities of the city, to hear the applications filed by the prisoners being tried in minor offences, such as theft, robbery and others. The prisoners had sent applications to the top judges of the districts, pertaining to guilty plea, bail and reduction in sureties. The judges referred the applications to their subordinates and directed them to dispose of the pleas before Eid. After hearing the arguments, the magistrates of district West released 140 prisoners, district Central released 65, district East 70, district South 46 and Malir 40.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2015.