ISLAMABAD : In a landmark decision regarding women prisoners, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed for immediate implementation of Supreme Court order for the release of undertrial women prisoners and convicted women prisoners.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said the decision to implement Supreme Court’s Order 299/2020 was taken after consultation with Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and eminent lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar.

The prime minister has also asked for immediate reports on foreign women prisoners and women on death row for humanitarian consideration.

It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan had constituted a committee to assess and look into the plight of women incarcerated in prisons across the country.

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari was given four months’ time to pull off the task. Other members of the committee were secretaries of the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Interior, the Home Department of four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, Inspector General Prisons (provinces and GB), founder and the executive director of Justice Project Pakistan.

It is required to suggest a comprehensive and workable system of governance in prisons in Pakistan to ameliorate the plight of women prisoners. The committee will review prison rules and other relevant laws with a view to suggesting gender specific changes in order to bring improvements for women inmates.