Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has remarked jail administration is corrupt and if it is reformed then condition prevailing in  jails will stand improved.
“Jail administration is corrupt. If management is reformed then condition of jails can be improved. The prevailing situation in the jails has reached such extreme end  that jail administration took bribe from a minister. Lady Warden took bribe to the tune of Rs 60000 from a lady prisoner.
Prisoners are herded into jails like sheep and goats. Food and health facilities are next to nil therein. The prisoners who are wealthy make the jails their home. The condition of those jail inmates who have no money is very pitiable”,   CJP gave these remarks while presiding over a 3-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) during the course of hearing of deplorable plight of jails case here Tuesday.
Reports were presented by the provinces in respect of jails located in the respective provinces.
The court was informed about Peshawar jail that it has capacity to accommodate 850 prisoners but 1743 prisoners have been kept therein. The other provinces also presented reports containing the number of jails and their inmates. There are over 800 jails in all over the country and thousands of prisoners are lodged therein. The trial situation  is also not satisfactory as several prisoners have not been provided trial facility so far.
The court ordered the provinces to enhance facilities for  inmates of jails within three weeks, expedite provision of basic amenities to them and gear up the process of trial of prisoners. The subordinate judiciary should dispose off cases pertaining to the prisoners early  in line with judicial policy, the court further ordered.
CJP remarked “ copies of the decision be sent to registrars of all the four provincial high courts to review the matters.
The court adjourned the hearing of the case for three weeks.