Justice Musarrat Hilali, the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday visited the Central Prison in Peshawar along with Ashfaque Taj, the District and Sessions Judge of Peshawar.
Senior civil judge Admin and Judicial Magistrate also were present on the occasion. The visit was made in connection with Eid-ul-Fitr to assess the living conditions of the jail inmates, including juvenile offenders and female accused. During the visit, the Chief Justice inspected the video link cabins where under trial prisoners were attending hearings in various criminal courts of the district. She also visited the cells of terrorists, militants, juveniles, and females, and checked the quality of food in the kitchen.
The Superintendent Jail briefed the Chief Justice on the situation and problems of the inmates. Eid gifts were also distributed among 62 juvenile offenders, 27 female accused, and 6 kids. The chief justice also listened to the problems of the inmates and issued directions for their redressal. On the Chief Justice’s directions, 21 accused, who were incarcerated in cases of petty nature, were released by District and Sessions Judge and the Senior Civil Judge (Admn) Peshawar and Judicial Magistrate Daulat Khan according to their respective jurisdictions, so that they could celebrate Eid with their loved ones.
During the Chief Justice’s last visit, the juveniles were found to be in a miserable condition, so they were provided with new clothes and soaps to improve their hygiene. Additionally, 26 foreigners, including 3 juveniles, were deported on the Chief Justice’s directions. The Chief Justice directed the Superintendent Jail to make the jail an infirmary for new offenders by educating them and imparting religious and social knowledge. She also suggested installing the latest CCTV cameras in juvenile barracks to maintain peace and tranquility in the jail and to safeguard the minors from abuse and torture. The District and Sessions Judge Peshawar recommended segregating rival groups by adopting the “silver bullet policy” as is done in developed countries. Justice Hilali emphasized that her main focus would be on courts and jails, and even though the jails were overcrowded, the jail superintendent must show exemplary conduct towards the inmates. She also announced that she would regularly make surprise visits to jails in the future for the betterment of the accused.
