Amnesty International report says Pakistan neglecting prisons amid coronavirus outbreak

• The Pakistani government did not take adequate measures to save prisoners from contracting coronavirus
• Between April to August 2020, about 6,000 more prisoners were added to already crammed jails
• Human rights organisations demand the government release elderly persons, women, and political prisoners 

The government of Pakistan has been criticised by human rights organisations for neglecting the country's prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

According to a joint report prepared by Amnesty International — an international human rights organisation — and Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), the Pakistani government remained complacent despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases in jails.

Most prisons in the country remain overcrowded, the report stated, adding that no measures were taken to ensure adequate social distancing in jails where the population is highly vulnerable to the disease.

Read more: Warning bells sounded as 89 prisoners test positive for coronavirus in Punjab jails

"The government failed to fulfil its promise of reducing the number of prisoners from overcrowded jails to contain the spread of coronavirus," the report maintained. 

Instead of reducing the number of incarcerated persons, about 6,000 new prisoners were added to already crammed jails between April and August 2020, according to the report

Amnesty International and JPP stated that the government released some detainees owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country but later rearrested them. 

Also read: PM Imran receives report on plight of women in Pakistan’s prisons

The report also stressed on the Pakistani government to release elderly people, women, and political prisoners to reduce the risk of contracting the infection.