Covid-19 Runs Unchecked in Pakistan's Overcrowded Prisons- Report

Business Standard Covid-19 runs unchecked in Pakistan's overcrowded prisons: Report

A human rights report released Monday harshly criticized Pakistan's response to the coronavirus threat faced by tens of thousands of inmates stuck in overcrowded and often unsanitary prisons.

A human rights report released Monday harshly criticized Pakistan's response to the coronavirus threat faced by tens of thousands of inmates stuck in overcrowded and often unsanitary prisons.

Instead of following through on promises to ease prison overcrowding made when the pandemic first hit, Pakistan's government has actually increased its inmate population by over 6,000 between April and August, from 73,242 to 79,603. Some of the few who were freed were later rearrested.

The joint report by London-based Amnesty International and Justice Project Pakistan said inmates face a growing risk of infection, and called for renewed efforts to free certain prisoners, particularly the elderly, women and prisoners of conscience.

As Pakistan braves the second wave of COVID-19, prisoners remain dangerously exposed as the authorities not only failed to reduce overcrowding, they actually worsened it, said Rimmel Mohydin, South Asia regional campaigner for Amnesty International.

In the first weeks of the outbreak in February, the Islamabad High Court ordered the release of pretrial inmates charged with nonviolent crimes as well as those whose bail had previously been denied. In the southern Sindh province, 519 prisoners were to be released on bail. But in late March, the Supreme Court suspended all bail orders that were granted because of the virus.