ISLAMABAD:
Amid PTI’s protests over the lack of legitimate rights for its detained leaders, the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC), comprising all senior judges, has announced that it will organize a national conference on the “Prison Reform Action Plan” in June to promote stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue as part of an inclusive reform process.
Last week, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired the 59th meeting of the NJPMC, which was attended by the Chief Justice of the Federal Sharia Court, the Chief Justices of all High Courts, the Advocate General of Pakistan and the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
During the meeting, the NJPMC reviewed progress on the implementation of the Prison Reform Action Plan, which aims to bring Pakistan’s prison system in line with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules).
It was noted that deliberations are actively underway in the Provincial Judiciary Committee to ensure the adoption of effective, rights-based and sustainable reform measures.
The NJPMC emphasized the need for a coordinated and harmonized approach to the implementation of the prison reform action plan, with a particular focus on protecting prisoners’ rights, improving conditions of detention and strengthening institutional accountability.
The NJPMC urged the Provincial Judiciary Committees to take proactive measures to ensure the ownership of the Provincial Governments. It directed the LJCP Secretariat to organize a National Conference on the Prison Reforms Action Plan in June 2026 to facilitate stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue as part of an inclusive reform process.
It also directed that a concept note for the proposed conference, containing objectives, format and list of delegates, be prepared and shared with the High Courts for input prior to finalisation.
The Supreme Judiciary plans to organize the National Conference on Prison Reforms at a time when former Prime Minister Imran Khan, through his lawyer, has alleged that he and his wife are being held in “torturous solitary confinement” for nearly 24 hours without access to books, television, family or lawyers.
Barrister Taimur Malik, counsel for several jailed political prisoners including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, said that while it is positive that an action plan for prison reforms is under consideration, such a proposal would be insufficient if it does not deal with timely fixation of bail, suspension and appeals on deposits.
He further said that prisons across Pakistan are overcrowded and most of the issues that the reform plan seeks to address stem from this condition.
Malik said there is a need to reduce the number of jails, adding that many prisoners under trial or those eligible for bail in connection with crimes could be released pending trial.
Similarly, inmates eligible for parole due to age or health may also be released to reduce the burden on the prison system.
He cited the example of Ejaz Chaudhry, who has been diagnosed with stage three kidney disease and whose health condition is not supported by the prison environment, but whose suspension applications and appeals have not been set for hearing.
He also highlighted that Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been acquitted in all cases for the past three years but remained in jail due to a few pending bail cases.
With regard to countering bogus and frivolous litigation, the Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court, who heads the relevant committee, informed the NJPMC that work to propose a legislative and policy framework in accordance with the ‘Cost of Litigation Act, 2017’ (ICT) has begun and initial consultations have been held.
To make the process more inclusive, it was suggested that draft recommendations be shared with the Ministry of Law and Justice, provincial court departments and bar councils for feedback.
It was also suggested to investigate the institutionalization of procrastination costs.
Appreciating the committee’s progress, the NJPMC reiterated its resolve that abuse of legal process must be curbed through strict adherence to existing statutory and procedural provisions.
The Advocate General of Pakistan, in his capacity as the President of the Bar Council of Pakistan, assured that the Bar Council would be consulted on mechanisms to deal with frequent strikes by lawyers and the NJPMC would be apprised of progress in its next meeting.
To provide families with greater flexibility in scheduling visitation, improve parent-child interaction, reduce overcrowding in visitation facilities, and promote a more child-centered environment within the justice system, the NJPMC approved child visitation facilities at the district courts on closed holidays, subject to local requirements and administrative arrangements to be determined by the respective district courts.
