RAWALPINDI, June 8: The coalition government is working on recommendations for termination of capital punishment in the country and efforts are being made to introduce extensive jail reforms for provision of better facilities to the prisoners.

This was stated by Federal Finance Minister Naveed Qamar here on Sunday after paying off the fine of those prisoners who were in jail only because of defaulting on penalties.

The federal government paid Rs4,255,235 to get 36 prisoners, including two women, released from the central jail in Adiala.

Talking to media persons after the ceremony, Mr Qamar said the government was pondering on the proposals for scraping death penalty as such kind of punishment was being terminated in the civilised societies.

The minister said the government was working to introduce a jail reform package to improve the existing facilities for the detainees.

Mr Qamar said he himself had been kept in Adiala Jail and he knew the problems of inmates very well, adding that he had also been advised by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to pay the fine of all those prisoners who were unable to pay the penalty.

The finance minister said all efforts were being made to eliminate corruption and practice of illegal gratification from jails. The jail staff will be trained not to misbehave with the prisoners and provide the inmates a conducive atmosphere to bring a positive change in the prisoners.

About the annual budget, he said it would be tax free and poor friendly. All kinds of crises that the nation is facing today are inherited by the present government, as the outgoing government paid little attention to the welfare of the people. The prisoners, who were in jubilant mood on their release, thanked the government and urged the authorities to bring in changes in jails where corruption and maltreatment of prisoners was rampant.

—Our Reporter