The workshop saw active participation from legal practitioners of Toba Tek Singh police officials, jail administration Toba Tek Singh, and other concerned actors in the juvenile justice system.

During the interactive workshop, stakeholders discussed various legal and procedural aspects of the Juvenile Justice System Act 2018, including child protection mechanisms, legal safeguards, and institutional responsibilities.

The session was led by the director of Legal Awareness Watch, who also serves as the chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Lahore Bar Association. The lead trainer delivered comprehensive training aimed at equipping the participants with essential knowledge and practical tools to effectively handle cases involving children in conflict with the law.

REFERENCE: https://e.thenews.com.pk/detail?id=417241

The session was aimed at stakeholders to draw their attention towards the effective and meaningful implementation of Juvenile Justice Act 2018 that Juvenile Justice Ordinance 2000 with the view of giving separate and effective justice system to children.

Participants from Punjab Police, District Jail Pakpattan, District Prosecutor Pakpattan were among the speakers. While talking to The News, the Chairman of Juvenile Justice and Child Rights Committee of Lahore Bar Association said that such sessions had been getting implemented across Punjab and other parts of Pakistan to seek effective and timely implementation of juvenile justice act 2018 which was promulgated in Pakistan for protecting and giving best rights to the children in conflict with the law. Children in Pakistan despite promulgation of juvenile justice act 2018 have not been receiving rights those embodied in the act for instance, free legal assistance and rehabilitation in jails particularly in Punjab, he added. Moreover, he said that children must not treated as adults when they come to face the penal proceedings in the court of law or police station considering their ability to comprehend the consequence of their actions.

REFERENCE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1302835-awareness-session-on-juvenile-justice

The event aimed to mobilise key stakeholders for the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice System Act (JJSA) 2018. Speaking to a diverse gathering of lawyers, probation officers, prosecutors, civil society members, and child rights activists, JJANP Convenor Sarmad Ali called for urgent and coordinated efforts to address the non-enforcement of the JJSA 2018, which was enacted over five years ago.

‘The law remains dormant in many parts of the country, and as a result, children in conflict with the law continue to suffer from systemic neglect and procedural injustices,’ Sarmad Ali said.

Among them, 33 are men and one is a woman. The figures were disclosed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by Advocate Sarmad Ali, Chairperson of the Juvenile Justice and Child Rights Committee of the Lahore Bar Association and Director Legal Awareness Watch (LAW).

In a related disclosure, the IG Prisons Punjab office confirmed that nine disabled male inmates in the province are also on death row. The nature of their disabilities was not detailed in the report. Director LAW Sarmad Ali emphasised the need for judicial sensitivity and policy reform, especially when the death penalty involves individuals from marginalised or vulnerable communities.

However, glaring as well as much need reforms remain in ensuring equitable treatment for vulnerable groups, including women and children detained under sensitive charges. Advocate Sarmad Ali, a staunch human rights activist and legal expert providing pro bono legal assistance to women and children in Punjab, has raised concerns about the exclusionary implementation of these reforms. In a letter to the Punjab Home Department and Inspectorate General of Punjab Prisons, Advocate Sarmad Ali commended the reforms but highlighted lacking. As per official records, 25 women are currently detained in Punjab’s prisons under blasphemy charges, with three sentenced to death and two to life imprisonment. Despite the provisions of the reforms, women and children in such sensitive cases face systemic neglect and discrimination.

REFERENCE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1268785-equitable-treatment-for-inmates-stressed

The figures were disclosed in response to a right to information (RTI) application filed by Advocate Sarmad Ali, a noted human rights lawyer and Director of Legal Awareness Watch (LAW). Sarmad also chairs the Juvenile Justice and Child Rights Committee of the Lahore Bar Association. The report further revealed that a total of 1,093 men and 15 women are presently facing capital punishment in Punjab. Three women among them have been sentenced under blasphemy laws.

Speaking to The News, Advocate Sarmad Ali underscored the grave legal and ethical concerns surrounding the execution of disabled individuals. “Under both international human rights instruments and Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, persons with physical or mental disabilities are neither eligible for the death penalty nor can they be executed,” he said. He added that continuing to keep disabled prisoners on death row violates Pakistan’s obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which Pakistan is a signatory. He urged the government to initiate a review mechanism for such cases, stressing the need for urgent reforms in the criminal justice system to protect the rights of vulnerable inmates.

Sarmad also called on the Punjab government to ensure that prison conditions for inmates – especially those with disabilities – are brought into conformity with human dignity and legal norms.

REFERENCE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1319266-nine-special-persons-on-death-row-in-punjab-prisons?fbclid=IwY2xjawK6F4JleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwcWR3dXdYM055ZkdMaml4AR6s8G5rrGxtolo-lW9O6yao8-6JXsCm-ipYoxJ7MXLoYUfbvHRFbRFexLMknA_aem_2f0eM56vJ1nR2xxu95M9Dw

In a letter addressed to the Foreign Secretary, Advocate High Court and Chairman of the Juvenile Justice and Child Rights Committee of the Lahore Bar Association Sarmad Ali referenced media reports quoting official statements in the National Assembly that 23,456 Pakistanis are currently incarcerated overseas. A significant portion—over 12,000—are believed to be detained in Saudi Arabia alone.

Citing Article 19(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the right to information, and the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, Sarmad Ali requested a country-wise breakdown of female prisoners, particularly those detained with children, as well as the number of Pakistani children in foreign jails, if any. He sought the number of citizens on death row abroad and the countries where they are held. He demanded the government intervene, especially in cases involving women and minors, and called for legal support for detainees.

REFERENCE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1314675-call-to-provide-legal-help-to-pakistanis-in-foreign-jails

According to the data available with The News, The Director, Legal Awareness Watch, had submitted its request under Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013 which was promulgated in the wake of 18th amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan 1973.

Thereafter, the letter addressed to Sarmad Ali, Director LAW, stated that 37 children in Faisalabad Borstal, 43 children in Bahawalpur Borstal, 1 in District Jail Lahore, 1 in Central Jail Rawalpindi, 1 in District Jail Hafizabad, 1 in Attock, 1 in District Jail Sargodha, 1 in District Jail Okara, and 1 in District Jail Rahim Yar Khan are serving life imprisonment under various penal violations.

While talking to the News, Ali said that children would only be rehabilitated, not incarcerated even in rarest of rare circumstances.

He lamented that juvenile justice act 2018 was enacted to safeguard the best interests of children in conflict with the law ensuring that they would be leniency under the law.

REFERENCE: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1283310-89-children-facing-life-term-in-punjab-prisons?fbclid=IwY2xjawIeXX5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSg_rdRwRu3BPqgCnskdaPtmJHM2pTa5XjgwEtI8q0LsNZhqjsn9BsVIjA_aem_G3MRpAIRQnMbNOHEVfcyww

The report revealed that Punjab has only one dedicated facility for female inmates, the women jail in Multan. In other prisons, women are accommodated in specific blocks or portions designated for female prisoners.

Earlier this month, the IG Punjab Prisons had shared additional data, stating that 25 women inmates are currently in custody, with two serving life sentences and three sentenced to death.

Advocate Sarmad Ali, a frequent filer of right to information applications, emphasised the urgent need for separate jails for women in Punjab and across Pakistan. He highlighted the recent Lahore High Court directive urging authorities to expedite the establishment of women’s prisons in Punjab as part of broader jail reform initiatives.

‘The absence of sufficient dedicated facilities for women inmates undermines their safety, privacy, and rehabilitation opportunities,’ said Advocate Sarmad Ali, calling for immediate government action.

The lack of women’s jails remains a significant concern for prison reform advocates, especially with the growing calls for structural changes to ensure humane treatment and reform-oriented facilities for incarcerated individuals. —

Reference: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1273374-130-women-serving-life-sentence-in-punjab-jails-report

The report available with The News, provides a detailed jail-wise breakdown of death row inmates. Central Jail Faisalabad holds the highest number, with 238 prisoners sentenced to death, followed closely by Central Jail Multan with 236. Lahore’s Central Jail houses 152 such inmates, while District Jail Sheikhupura has 135. Other significant numbers include District Jail Sargodha (102), Central Jail Gujranwala (68), and Central Jail Bahawalpur (80). The lowest figures were reported at District Jail Kasur and District Jail Lahore, each holding only one death row prisoner. The data was obtained by Samrad Ali Advocate under Article 19(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which ensures citizens’ right to access public information, and Section 10 of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013. Advocate Sarmad Ali emphasised that the findings highlight the scale of death row incarceration in Punjab and raise concerns over judicial delays and pending appeals.

Pakistan has one of the highest death row populations globally, prompting frequent calls from human rights organisations for judicial reforms and a reconsideration of the death penalty.Advocate Sarmad Ali urged authorities to address systemic delays in the judicial process and explore alternative sentencing options.

Reference: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1295661-2-193-men-15-women-on-death-row-in-punjab-jails