Four provincial chief ministers sign the Islamabad Declaration on prison reform in Islamabad. PHOTO: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
In a conference aimed at putting Pakistan’s prison system under the microscope, politics took center stage on Thursday, when the chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa used the forum of the Supreme Court to chronicle the plight of political prisoners rather than unveil concrete remedies for the thousands of inmates crammed into the country’s overcrowded jails.
Convened under the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), the conference ended with the four provincial governments endorsing the Islamabad Declaration and promising to implement coordinated reforms aimed at alleviating 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 emphasized that meaningful reform requires shared institutional responsibility and sustained leadership from the provinces.
He welcomed the collective commitment of provincial governments to advance the NJPMC’s National Prison Reform Action Plan through coordinated and practical reforms.
Although the Chief Justice managed to bring the four chief ministers under one roof, the conference concluded without addressing concerns surrounding political prisoners.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in his speech highlighted the difficulties faced by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in jail and urged the Chief Justice to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz spoke about her own imprisonment during the PTI government and recounted 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 spent several months in prison, 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 prison reports, laws and regulations; the real problem is their poor implementation. Meaningful prison reform requires the implementation of existing laws, not another declaration or conference,” Chaudhry said.
In his speech, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that while his provincial government was constructing waiting areas for visitors outside jails, similar arrangements should also be made in Adiala jail for visitors, including PTI workers.
He also urged that water cannons not be used against PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters during their visits.
The prime minister expressed concern over Imran Khan’s “deteriorating health”, stating that 85 per cent of the vision in one of his eyes had been affected. He asked the Chief Justice to ensure that the former prime minister had access to his personal doctors for treatment, that his family members were allowed regular meetings and that he was allowed to speak to his children via video link.
Afridi said that in line with his leadership’s vision, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was extending similar facilities to prisoners in the province’s jails.
He further stated that Pakistan has a Constitution but it is not being fully implemented, adding that the Constitution is the guarantee of national unity and must be respected.
The prime minister also criticized restrictions on public gatherings and said that while gatherings are permitted in a democracy, FIRs were being registered against participants, including terrorism charges against minor PTI supporters.
He concluded by saying that prison reforms should start with Adiala Jail.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also reflected on her imprisonment, saying the experience had deeply shaped her perspective on prison reform.
She said life in prison taught her “the pain of separation in its cruelest form,” and recalled that while she and her father were incarcerated, her mother became seriously ill.
“For days, none of us could talk to her. We couldn’t sit next to her, hold her hand or comfort her in her last moments. She left this world while we remained behind the prison walls,” he said.
Maryam said she is now not only the chief minister of Pakistan’s largest province, but also someone who has experienced imprisonment firsthand.
“The reforms I will talk about today come from my own personal experiences. I have lived them, I have experienced them firsthand, and that experience changed me forever.”
He noted that Punjab operates one of the largest prison systems in the country, comprising 45 prisons housing over 69,000 inmates against a licensed capacity of around 39,000.
He said overcrowding was only one aspect of the problem, noting that nearly three-quarters of inmates were not on trial.
“Prison reforms cannot be carried out 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 jail cells in Punjab.
“Every prison cell is now equipped with emergency systems so that no inmate is left without a way to call for immediate help,” he said, adding that timely response to distress calls is essential as “human life cannot wait behind closed 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 Islamabad Declaration.
“We, the Chief Ministers of the Provinces of Pakistan, meeting 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 recognize that Pakistan’s prisons are operating under serious strain, with overcrowding, a high proportion of prisoners under trial, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to health and mental health services, and insufficient opportunities for rehabilitation, education and vocational training.
“We recognize 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 their liberty retain their fundamental rights under the Constitution of Pakistan, including the rights to life, dignity, a fair trial and humane treatment.
“We further recognize Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights standards, including those related to the treatment of prisoners, women detainees, children in conflict with the law, persons with disabilities and the use of non-custodial measures.
“We recognize that meaningful and sustained prison reform requires coordinated action between the executive, judicial and legislative branches, while respecting the constitutional functions of each branch of government.
“We further recognize that provincial governments are primarily responsible for prison administration, resourcing and reform.
“Accordingly, all CMs commit to reducing unnecessary incarceration, particularly of prisoners under trial, by strengthening access to bail, legal aid, probation, parole, diversion and other non-custodial alternatives, especially for women, children, people with disabilities, people with mental health problems and those detained for minor, poverty-related or non-violent crimes.
“Second, review provincial laws, regulations, policies and administrative practices governing arrest, detention, sentencing, prison management, probation, parole and rehabilitation, with a view to reducing overcrowding and harmonizing prison administration with constitutional and human rights standards.
“Third, improve prison conditions through greater investment in infrastructure, sanitation, nutrition, health care, mental health services, redress of complaints and safeguards against torture, ill-treatment and neglect.
“Fourth, promote rehabilitation and reintegration by expanding education, vocational training, psychosocial support, drug treatment, skills development and post-release support for detainees.
“Fifth, strengthen coordination across the criminal justice system, including correctional departments, police, prosecution, probation and parole services, legal aid institutions, health and social welfare departments and the judiciary, to support efficient processing of cases and timely access to justice.
“Sixth, establish provincial implementation mechanisms to develop time-bound reform plans, identify priority actions, allocate resources, collect data and monitor progress against agreed-upon indicators.
“Seventh, regularly report on implementation to the agreed upon national prison reform coordination mechanism, including progress in reducing overcrowding, improving detention conditions, expanding non-custodial alternatives, and strengthening rehabilitation services.”
The four senior ministers concluded by stating that prison reform is not simply an administrative necessity but “a constitutional, humanitarian and public safety imperative. We commit to working together to build a prison system that is legal, humane, rehabilitative and consistent with the dignity of every person.”
