February 20, 2003	Thursday	Zul Hijjah 18, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Over 7,000 women and children, including under-trial and convicted, are languishing in 75 jails of the country, says a study.

The study was conducted by a non-governmental organization, Society for the Advancement of Community, Health, Education and Training (SACHET).

According to the report, out of the total number, 1,249 women — 745 in Punjab, 236 each in NWFP and Sindh, 19 in Balochistan, one in Northern Areas, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir — are under trial whereas 421 women — 269 in Punjab, 31 in Sindh, 98 in NWFP, 22 in Balochistan, and one in AJK — had been convicted by the courts.

Similarly, male juveniles going on trial in the country are 3,995 — 3,025 in Punjab, 470 in Sindh, 446 in NWFP, 54 in Balochistan — whereas the number of convicted male juveniles is 927 — 678 in Punjab, 65 in Sindh, 81 in NWFP, and 103 in Balochistan.

It is interesting to note that all 48 female under-trial juveniles belong to Punjab. Similarly, nine convicted female juveniles are also from Punjab.

The study said 52 female foreigners going on trials had been kept in Punjab (40) and Sindh (12), while the number of convicted female foreigners was 35 — 15 in Punjab, 17 in Sindh, and three in NWFP.

At present, there are 75 jails in Pakistan, including 28 in Punjab, and 21 in the NWFP, the report said.

It was underlined in the report that majority of the country’s jail were over crowded and the inmates had not been treated in accordance with the rights of prisoners.

The SACHET executive vice-president, Dr Rakhshinda Perveen, told this reporter that both women and juveniles prisoners underwent multidimensional traumas even if at the end declared innocent by the courts.

Women prisoners are never acceptable to the society and treated as pariah, she added.

She said, unfortunately, at present there were a number of discriminatory laws observed in the country. Majority of cases against women or children are fabricated, she added.

It is also a form of violence against women whereby innocent women are used by men in a number of unlawful activities, Dr Rakhshinda said.