Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday ordered the release of 25 suspects in NAB custody, including Hussain Lawai, in the light of coronavirus pandemic.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the orders in this regard. “The court is issuing release orders in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak in the country,” he remarked.

Those released include Hussain Lawai, Taha Raza, Liaquat Qaimkhani, Mustafa Zulqarnain, and others. The suspects were under trial for various offences, including corruption in the fake bank accounts case.

Balochistan’s Inspector General of Prisons in an order issued on Thursday directed the release of 78 prisoners from jails across the province in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. He said the decision has been made after Chief Minister Jam Kamal said prisoners who have two months or less time remaining in their sentences should be released.

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Qasim Khan has also directed all jail superintendents to immediately file bail petitions of inmates who have been barred for up to 10 years. He remarked that jail superintendents will file bail pleas in local courts on behalf of the prisoners.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has assigned the Sindh Home Department to work out details of total prisoners in jails so that they can be given relief keeping in view nature of their crime, health and financial conditions.

While presiding a meeting of Home Department, the chief minister said according to the available list there are 16,000 prisoners in all the jails of the province. “I want you to prepare lists of all of the prisoners and divide them in different categories,” he said, and added that there should be category of under trial and convicted prisoners.

In the under-trail prisoners’ list there should be separate categories of prisoners facing heinous criminal charges and minor charges. A separate list of elderly and sick prisoners may also be made so that their cases can be considered accordingly, he said.

The chief minister asked the home department to furnish a separate list of the prisoners who have completed their punishments or jail term but have no money to pay the fine/penalty imposed on them as well as the list of the prisoners who have been granted bail but have no money or property to file surety amount. “The provincial government will pay their fine and make arrangement for their surety,” he said. He has also asked the home department to prepare separate lists of the women prisoners, children and foreigners so that they may also be given some relief keeping in view the nature of their crime.