Daily Times

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister has announced a two-month reduction in sentences for prisoners on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2025.

According to a notification issued by the provincial Home Department, this reprieve does not apply to those convicted of terrorism, murder, kidnapping, or other serious crimes. The sentence reduction is only applicable to prisoners convicted of minor offenses.

This news comes as Pakistan prepares to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, on March 30 or 31, depending on the sighting of the moon.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari granted a special 180-day sentence reduction for prisoners on the occasion of Pakistan Day and Eidul Fitr 2025 under Article 45 of the Constitution. According to the details, the special remission of 90 days is for all convicts except those convicted of murder, espionage, robbery, dacoity, abduction, anti-state acts, rape and terrorist activities.

Those convicted of financial crimes, causing damage to the national treasury, or sentenced under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Narcotics Control Act 2022 will also be excluded from the benefit.

The sentence reduction will apply to male prisoners above 65 years of age and female prisoners above 60 years of age who have completed at least one-third of their sentence.

Women incarcerated with their children and juvenile offenders under 18 years of age who have served one-third of their sentence will also qualify for the relief.

Separately, in a decisive move to curb artificial inflation ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Saturday has launched a massive crackdown against profiteering.

On the directives of KP Minister for Food, Zahir Shah Toru, the food Department team in Peshawar has intensified its operations to ensure compliance with official price lists. Under the supervision of Rationing Controller Peshawar, Tauseef Iqbal, Assistant Food Controllers Shahid Ali Khan and Kamal Ahmed, along with Food Inspectors, carried out inspections at butcher shops, grocery stores, vegetable vendors, and bakeries.