December 15, 2017: CODE PAKISTAN, in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), held a round of consultations with senior-level prisons officials from all the four provinces of Pakistan as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) in Islamabad today. The consultations with prisons officials were held in Islamabad with an aim to get their perspective on the determination of official capacities of prisons. The consultations with prisons officials were part of the nation-wide study being conducted by CODE PAKISTAN to identify the causes and consequences of high numbers of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) leading to overcrowding in Pakistan’s prisons and coming up with a thorough assessment of the criminal justice system with regard to delays in the processing and adjudication of cases. CODE PAKISTAN is conducting the said study on the formal request of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), which is mandated to implement the National Action Plan (NAP), unanimously agreed upon by the political leadership of the country in December 2014. Revamping of the criminal justice system is the 20th point of NAP. CODE PAKISTAN’s study will be dovetailed to NACTA’s efforts in conducting research on Point 20 of NAP mentioned above.
The consultations with prisons officials were presided over by Director Research and Analysis Wing at NACTA Mr. Inam Malik. Mr. Inam Malik, initiated the session by welcoming the guests and giving a brief introduction on the work done so far and the future activities for the study on addressing overcrowding by reducing pre-conviction detention in Pakistan. He highlighted that the study was in furtherance of the National Action Plan’s Point 20 on revamping of the criminal justice system and updated participants on the consultations held until then with prison officers, prosecution departments, law bar councils, and other concerned government departments. Mr. Malik informed the attending prisons officials that the findings of the study and its recommendations would be submitted to NACTA and further to the Ministry of Interior. Mr. Malik’s briefing was followed by an introduction by Mr. Dilawar Khan to sensitize participants on what CODE PAKISTAN had done until then, and what it expected to deliver in the coming days.
The consultations were held in a very cordial atmosphere with a candid exchange of views on the subject including the criteria used for determination of the official capacity of prisons in all four provinces as well as AJK and G-B and a host of other related aspects of the criminal justice system.
The consultations were attended by high-level prisons officials from all four provinces as well as AJK and G-B.