June 23, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 18, 1429

LAHORE, June 22: As many as 6,808 condemned prisoners, including 46 women, languishing in all 32 jails of the province, will get benefit after the conversion of death sentence into life term on the occasion of Benazir Bhutto's birthday anniversary. According to prison department sources, 70 condemned prisoners whose mercy appeals have been rejected by the President of Pakistan will get a new lease of life. That will also include Sarbajeet Singh, the alleged Indian spy, who has been on death row.

The appeals of about 5,500 convicted prisoners are pending with the high courts against the verdict of lower courts while about 1,000 appeals are at various stages of hearing in the Supreme Court.

The province consists of four regions in term of prisons department. There are seven jails in Lahore region, 11 in Multan, eight in Faisalabad and six in Rawalpindi.

In Lahore region, 545 convicts have been detained in the central jail, two in the camp jail, 586 in Gujranwala, 545 in Sahiwal, 239 in Kasur, 300 in Sheikhupura and 382 in Sialkot jails.

In Rawalpindi region, 454 convicts have been imprisoned in the central jail, 153 in Attock jail, 209 in Gujrat, 140 in Jhelum, and 133 in Mandi Bahauddin jails.

In Faisalabad region, there are 631 convicts in the central jail, 15 in district jail, Faisalabad, 272 in Mianwali jail, 210 in Jhang, 240 in Sargodha, 126 in Shahpur and 126 in Toba Tek Singh jails.

In Multan region, 462 convicts have been detained in central jail, 99 in district jail, Multan, 196 in Vehari, 214 in DG Khan, one in district jail, Bahawalnagar, 366 in central jail, Bahawalpur, 124 in Rahim Yar Khan and 38 female prisoners in Multan women jail.

Over 54,000 prisoners involved in various offenses have been languishing in Punjab jails. Of them, 11,606 have been convicted and 42,831 are facing trial. released: As many as 339 convicts have been released from Punjab jails following the federal government's announcement of 45-day remission for all convicts and 90-day for the lifers.

Punjab IG (prisons) Mian Farooq Nazir told this agency on Sunday that another 554 prisoners got reduction in their imprisonment term under the remission given in connection with the 55th birthday of PPP leader Benazir Bhutto.— APP