PM Takes Notice Of Women’ Plight In Jails, Orders Probe

A committee has been constituted taking into account the plight of women prisoners, whether convicted or awaiting trial, in overall context of gender biasness prevalent in the society at large and issues associated therewith.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 29^th, 2020) Prime Minister Imran Khan constituted a committee to study and investigate the plight of women in prisons.

The committee was constituted taking into account the plight of women prisoners, whether convicted or awaiting trial, in overall context of gender biasness prevalent in the society at large and issues associated therewith.

The Minister for Human Rights was made the chairperson of the committee.

The committee would be bound to submit its report in the matter within a period of four months and would suggest a comprehensive and workable system of governance of prisons in Pakistan to ameliorate the plight of women prisoners.

It would also review prison rules and other relevant laws with a view to suggest specific changes in order to bring improvements for women inmates.

The committee would also review situation of children accompanying women in jails and work to help mainstream such children, especially with regard to their education and social integration.

A video appeared on May 18 wherein a woman prisoner sought authorities’ attention towards plight of women prisoners in Lahore district jail.

The woman whose voice was very feeble accused jail officials of sexual abuse in Lahore district jail. She said that she and many other inmates with her were forced for sex and were taken during time to other officials for sex.

The victim also named DIG Malik Mubashir, raising serious questions over the jail security, particularly the provision and use of cell phones inside the jail.

“I am imprisoned here at Lahore district jail and they [jailers] are committing injustice to all of us.

They demand us to please DIG Malik Mubashir and others. Many other girls along with me go through this ordeal as they are supplied to the officials during the night time and nobody cares. Sometimes the women are killed after being pregnant, and their murder is colored as “suicide”. I appeal to PM Imran Khan to take notice of this, visit jails someday to see the actual situation and take action”

There is, however, no confirmed and response yet from the jail authorities regarding the video and the allegations leveled by the woman prisoner against them.