Pakistan’s prisons overcrowded as undertrial inmates swell

Prisons across Pakistan are facing severe overcrowding as a large number of undertrial prisoners remain behind bars due to delays in court decisions, 24NewsHD TV reported on Monday.

According to sources, the country’s prisons have a combined capacity of around 64,000 inmates, but the actual prison population has reached approximately 110,000, putting the system under heavy pressure.

The situation is particularly serious in Punjab, where 45 prisons have a capacity of around 38,000 prisoners, but currently house nearly 70,000 inmates.

Of these, only around 16,000 are convicted prisoners, while the overwhelming majority are under trial.

In Sindh, 23 prisons have space for around 14,000 inmates, but currently hold approximately 25,000 prisoners.

Only about 4,000 of them are convicted, with the remaining inmates facing trial.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 39 prisons are housing 11,382 prisoners, of whom only around 2,000 have been convicted.