Daily Times

Amid coronavirus outbreak, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered the release of prisoners involved in petty crimes against surety bonds.

During the hearing of a case pertaining to the release of the prisoners from Adyala Jail, Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed the deputy commissioner to appoint an officer to deal with matters related to the surety bonds, adding that the government should submit the bonds on behalf of those who cannot afford those. “The jails of the country are already overfilled. God forbid, what will happen if coronavirus spreads among the prisoners?” he said.

During the hearing, the chief justice inquired that if any preventive arrangements have been made for the prisoners, to which deputy commissioner said that there is no coronavirus patient in jails so far. He said the authorities will figure out that which prisoners can be released in the light of the IHC order and a compliance report will be submitted in the court on Saturday.

Justice Athar Minullah said there are numerous cases when the suspects are gratuitously apprehended, adding, “The court finds various examples where the suspects should not be sent to the jail in the first stage.” He also remarked that Iranian courts ordered to release the prisoners, and therefore, they are passing the same orders to save others from this pandemic. He said that all prisoners with petty crimes or imprisonment with less than seven years may come out on bails by depositing their surety bonds. Islamabad Bar Council vice chairman said prisoners who will be freed must undergo screening to find if anyone is infected.