ISLAMABAD: The capital administration released 70 more prisoners on Sunday, bringing the total number to 300 freed in two days in response to guidelines issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) the minimise the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.

The 70 under-trial prisoners released on Sunday were held in connection with the Hadd Ordinance, dishonoured cheque cases and the possession of illegal weapons.

A report regarding the prisoners’ release was also submitted to the court on Sunday.

The administration did not examine the cases of people under judicial remand under the National Accountability Ordinance or other special laws such as the Control of Narcotics Substances, Anti-Terrorism Act or the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued directives to this effect on Friday while taking up a petition based on a report by the court’s judicial branch on Islamabad-based under-trial prisoners.

The report said that the number of people imprisoned in Central Prison Adiala, Rawalpindi, was 5,001, while its authorised occupancy is 2,174. There were 1,362 under-trial prisoners whose cases were pending before courts under the IHC’s jurisdiction and most of those incarcerated under-trial prisoners were alleged to have committed offences that fall within the ambit of the non-prohibitory clause.

The court had observed that prisoners were vulnerable and exposed tosuffer irreparably in the event of an outbreak. Overcrowded, with high turnover and intolerable living conditions, prisoners could potentially become epicentres for an outbreak of the virus.

The administration released 230 under-trial prisoners on bail on Saturday.

The IHC has also taken more measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. According to notifications issued on Sunday, the court’s administration decided that the fewest possible staff would work in their respective courtrooms and in the IHC’s different branches, and in rotation.

The administration has also asked all officers to drive their official vehicles themselves instead of having them driven by chauffeurs. Women working in the courts have been asked to stay home until the situation improved.

A circular issued on these measures said they have been taken for “social distancing and while keeping in view the increasing number of Covid-19 patients and expected future increase.”

The chief justice of the IHC notified a social distancing strategy for the sessions court on March 16 under which district and sessions judges were asked not to fix cases that are not urgent until April 5. They were also asked to nominate a judge to visit jail premises to consider bail applications for accused people and remands of under-trial prisoners.

Civil cases will not be fixed and litigants will stay outside courtrooms until their case is called for hearing.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2020