310 prisoners to be released across Punjab on Eid

LAHORE, Mar 20 (APP):The Punjab Home Department on Friday announced that 310 prisoners will be released across the province on Eid-ul-Fitr, allowing them to celebrate the festival with their families, while thousands more will benefit from sentence remissions.
According to a spokesperson, as many as 7,734 prisoners across Punjab will benefit from a remission of 100 days in sentence announced by the President of Pakistan. Over the past year, a total of 18,263 inmates have been granted sentence remissions on various grounds, including good conduct and educational achievements, as well as special concessions approved by the President.
The spokesperson said that remission is granted in accordance with prison rules and applies only to specific categories of inmates. Prisoners convicted of terrorism, sectarianism, espionage, sedition or anti-state activities are not eligible for such relief. Similarly, those convicted of murder, rape, drug trafficking, dacoity, kidnapping, financial embezzlement and causing loss to the national exchequer are excluded from the remission policy.
He further said that 759 prisoners were released after philanthropists and welfare organizations paid their fines, diyat, arsh and daman. These contributions helped secure the release of indigent inmates who had completed their sentences but remained in jail due to non-payment of fines.
The spokesperson added that charitable individuals and institutions arranged payments through zakat funds to facilitate the release of such prisoners before Eid.
At present, 176 prisoners who have completed their sentences are still in jails due to pending payments of fines and other liabilities. An estimated Rs396 million is required to secure their release.
The Home Department has urged philanthropists to donate to the Punjab Prison Foundation to help facilitate the release of these deserving inmates.