Pakistan’s prisons are facing severe overcrowding as delays in court decisions have contributed to a growing number of undertrial prisoners.
Against a total prison capacity of around 64,000 inmates, approximately 110,000 prisoners are currently being held in jails across the country.
Punjab has the largest prison population, with 70,000 prisoners currently held in its 45 jails. The province’s prisons have a combined capacity of around 38,000 inmates, meaning the current population is substantially higher than the available capacity.
Of the 70,000 prisoners in Punjab, only 16,000 have been convicted, while the remaining majority are undertrial prisoners whose cases are still pending before the courts.
Sindh jails also severely overcrowded
Sindh has 23 jails with a combined capacity of approximately 14,000 prisoners. However, the province is currently holding around 25,000 inmates, putting considerable pressure on its prison infrastructure.
Only 4,000 of the 25,000 prisoners in Sindh have been convicted, according to the available figures, leaving the majority as undertrial prisoners.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa prisoners
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 39 jails with 11,382 prisoners currently incarcerated. Only around 2,000 prisoners in the province have been convicted, indicating that a large proportion of inmates are also awaiting the conclusion of their cases.
The figures indicate that prisoners awaiting trial constitute a significant share of the prison population in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The growing number of inmates beyond the capacity of existing prisons has emerged as a major challenge for the country’s correctional system, with delays in judicial decisions contributing to the mounting burden.
