Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that poor prisoners who cannot afford lawyers to defend their cases in courts will get free legal aid.

While lauding Punjab Home Department on starting a remarkable initiative to help needy prisoners by providing them free legal aid in jails across Punjab, she added now no poor prisoner in Punjab will be deprived of the facility of a lawyer. She directed the authorities convened to form Free Legal Aid Committees in all 43 jails of Punjab in collaboration with Punjab Bar Council and District Bar Associations.

The CM said eligible prisoners will apply to their respective Jail Superintendents who will refer these applications to lawyers, adding that a total of 447 lawyers have been included in Free Legal Aid Committees across Punjab. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif explained that 45 lawyers in Lahore Division, 90 in Gujranwala Division, 70 in Rawalpindi Division, 47 in Faisalabad division, 45 in Multan Division, 24 in Sargodha Division, 55 in Bahawalpur division, 55 in Sahiwal Division and 16 in DG Khan Division have been included in these Free Legal Aid Committees.

Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has designated representatives for local public hospitals to improve patients’ treatment both indoors and outdoors. Like elsewhere in the province, Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ajmal Khan Chandia is designated to monitor the health affairs of District Headquarters Hospital Muzaffargarh, said the official source. Similarly, MPA Rana Abdul Manan Sajid is appointed to monitor the administration of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Jatoi.

MPA Syed Sebatin Raza Bukhari is deputed to hold a check of health treatment at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Alipur. Former provincial minister, Malik Ahmed Yar Hanjra would monitor the affairs of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kot Addu. Amjad Parvez Chandia is nominated to monitor Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. Notification about the authority to monitor the hospitals was issued.