Posted By Saad Mahboob
About 7,000 women and children are languishing in 75 jails across the country, both as the under trial and convicted prisoners.
As the statistics compiled by the Society for Advancement of Community Health Education and Training (SACHET) last year say; out of 1,249 under trial women prisoners, about 745 were in Punjab, 236 in the NWFP, 236 in Sindh, 19 in Balochistan, one in the Northern Areas and 12 in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The study further adds that out of a total of 421 convicted women prisoners, 269 were in Punjab, 98 in the NWFP, 22 in Balochistan and one in AJK.
Over 1,500 women remained in jails across the country as the year closed and most were kept in extremely poor conditions. Final report indicates that of the special committee on the Hadood Ordinance constituted by National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW) to repeal or amend the controversial law, 88 per cent of the women prisoners in the country were in jails as a result of ambiguities in the Zina Ordinance.
Epidemics
Women prisoners in Adiala jail have been reported to be suffering from tuberculosis and other life-threatening health conditions. The barracks in the jails with the capacity of 50 inmates have been housed with 151 women and 26 children.
A study conducted by the social work department of the Punjab University early this year said that 62 per cent of the 108 women prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail were illiterate. Their average age was 33 and 80 per cent of them were suffering from worse health conditions.
As the statistics compiled by the Society for Advancement of Community Health Education and Training (SACHET) last year say; out of 1,249 under trial women prisoners, about 745 were in Punjab, 236 in the NWFP, 236 in Sindh, 19 in Balochistan, one in the Northern Areas and 12 in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The study further adds that out of a total of 421 convicted women prisoners, 269 were in Punjab, 98 in the NWFP, 22 in Balochistan and one in AJK.
Over 1,500 women remained in jails across the country as the year closed and most were kept in extremely poor conditions. Final report indicates that of the special committee on the Hadood Ordinance constituted by National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW) to repeal or amend the controversial law, 88 per cent of the women prisoners in the country were in jails as a result of ambiguities in the Zina Ordinance.
Epidemics
Women prisoners in Adiala jail have been reported to be suffering from tuberculosis and other life-threatening health conditions. The barracks in the jails with the capacity of 50 inmates have been housed with 151 women and 26 children.
A study conducted by the social work department of the Punjab University early this year said that 62 per cent of the 108 women prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail were illiterate. Their average age was 33 and 80 per cent of them were suffering from worse health conditions.
About 47 per cent of the prisoners complained about stinking food and broken toilets, while it was also found that medicines supplied to them were often expired.
Last year, during a visit to a jail in Larkana, the group members of the District Public Safety Commission found that no medicines were available for women prisoners.
The press reports say that in 2003, 33 per cent of the interned under-trial women were not produced in courts in Karachi for periods of three months or longer
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Even though NGO's are concentrating on giving rights but i havent seen anyone to be concentrating on the rights abuse of the prisoners.We should collectively work on something to stop this abuse and educate them so that they could be a effective part of society.
Its quite sad to see the way women are being treated in our society and to top it off the way they are manhandled in jails is just too cruel.
These facts should be brought to the public and the govt should do something to ensure that this heinous act should stop .
the article is pretty well researched and the writer makes some excellent points. He has highlighted a pretty grim reality and I hope the concerned authorities take notice.
The South Asian subcontinent is the least gender sensitive region in the world. It is the only region in the world where men outnumber women. The sex ratio is 105.7 men to every 100 women. In Pakistan, women are not only subjected to financial discrimination, but they are also victims of inhuman customs and laws such as Karo Kari, Hadood ordinance, Qasas and marriage to the Quran and half witnesses according to the state law (whereby in court a female witness is only worth half a male witness).
this is the topic which should be raised in front of our leaders so that they could take some action to control this cruelty.
I THINK ALL WOMEN IN JAIL SHOULD BE PROPERLY RESPECTED SO AS TO CURB THE MENACE OF CRIME IN OUR SOCIETY OTHERWISE PREVAILING CONDITION SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE.
i read article its good but i wan2 say something that if criminals will be treated perfectly with good conditions and best place to live than what will be the purpose of keeping them in the prison?they are there for punishment not for enjoyment and when they will suffer bad conditions in prison they will try not to commit crime again to get rid of jails
ya kuram you r rigth...But there is alot of difference between animals and humans... They are treated like animals... There punishment is to live in jail not in a hell...