In a dramatic development, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday suspended Islamabad High Court’s order allowing release of 408 prisoners from Adiyala Jail in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The SC’s five-member larger bench also suspended all the directives of the other courts regarding release of prisoners in the hearing presided by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed.

The IHC had earlier asked the authorities to release the prisoners in view of the growing cases of the coronavirus in Pakistan, fearing it could spread among the prisoners in the overcrowded jails.

However, the SC took a different stance, with the CJP remarking “Although coronavirus is a serious issue, we cannot allow the release of the prisoners involved in heinous crimes.”

The Chief Justice further said “We’re well aware about the country’s situation due to the coronavirus, but we’ll have to see under what authority the IHC had ordered the release of the prisoners.”

“How could the high courts take suo moto actions?” the CJP asked.

Following which, the SC barred all the high courts and the provincial governments from giving any order regarding prisoners’ release, and issued notification in this regard to all the advocate generals, IG Islamabad, and the administration.

In addition, the provincial home secretaries, IG Prisons, Prosecutor General NAB and ANF were also notified not to release any prisoner until the apex court makes a ruling on it.

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