DLP Report
ISLAMABAD
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Thursday said meaningful prison reforms in Pakistan should begin with ensuring the constitutional and legal rights of former prime minister Imran Khan, alleging that the PTI founder was being denied fundamental rights while incarcerated at Adiala Jail.
Addressing the National Conference on Jail Reforms at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mr Afridi said Mr Khan should be provided all constitutional, legal and human rights guaranteed to prisoners. He called for immediate access to medical treatment by Mr Khan’s personal physicians, claiming that his health had deteriorated in custody.
The chief minister referred to reports that the vision in one of Mr Khan’s eyes had significantly weakened and said the authorities were responsible for ensuring timely medical care to all prisoners.
He also alleged that Mr Khan was being denied meetings with family members and called for arrangements to enable him to communicate with his sons through video link. He urged the authorities to allow the former prime minister’s sisters to meet him and ensure they were treated with dignity while visiting Adiala Jail.
Mr Afridi said the right to hold peaceful public gatherings was protected under the Constitution, but alleged that criminal cases were routinely registered against participants after public meetings. He also criticised the registration of anti-terrorism cases against minors, describing the practice as inconsistent with constitutional guarantees, democratic norms and fundamental human rights.
The chief minister said the provincial administration was transforming prisons from detention facilities into institutions focused on rehabilitation and reintegration.
Despite security challenges and limited resources, he said prisoner welfare remained a priority for the provincial government.
Mr Afridi said the provincial government had allocated Rs1.4 billion to strengthen prison security, adding that modern security equipment had already been installed in five central prisons, while seven district prisons were being upgraded in the second phase.
He said vocational training and prison industries had been established to equip inmates with employable skills, adding that prisoners received 30 per cent of the profits generated through prison industries. He said 455 inmates had so far received Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA)-certified vocational certificates.
The chief minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province to introduce an e-visit system, enabling prisoners to communicate virtually with their families within Pakistan and abroad. According to him, more than 13,400 people had benefited from the initiative.
He added that virtual courts established in collaboration with the Peshawar High Court had enabled undertrial prisoners to attend court proceedings remotely, reducing security risks and government expenditure while facilitating around 7,500 virtual hearings every month.
Mr Afridi said model interview rooms had also been established in prisons to facilitate family visits, benefiting around 800 visitors daily.
He said dedicated drug rehabilitation centres had been set up inside prisons, where 1,614 inmates had completed treatment programmes, while healthcare facilities, including laboratories, X-ray services and specialist medical care, had also been improved.
The chief minister reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to improving prison conditions, protecting prisoners’ rights and strengthening rehabilitation programmes.
He also appreciated Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi for convening the national conference, saying the forum would contribute to strengthening the country’s correctional system, protecting human rights and promoting judicial reforms.
