ISLAMABAD, Sept 23 Fourteen prisoners languishing in the Adiala jail for committing petty offences have been released on the directions of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, official sources said.

Instructions for the immediate release of the prisoners were issued by the chief justice during an open hearing which he held in the jail auditorium on the Eid day (Monday).Though a press release issued by the Supreme Court said the chief justice ordered release of eight prisoners, sources in the jail told Dawn the number was in fact 14.

Justice Chaudhry, who was accompanied by three judges of the Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench -Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh, Justice Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, spent about five hours with the prisoners to redress their grievances.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Rawalpindi, the deputy inspector general of prisons, director reclamation and probationers, parole officers of Rawalpindi district, sessions judges and judicial officers from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, registrar and other officers of the Supreme Court as well as the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench were also present on the occasion.

Prisoners of general categories were heard for redressal of their grievances, whereas some inmates presented their written applications to the chief justice.

In some cases, directions were issued to the CCPO to complete the challan within 24 hours, while jail authorities were directed to ensure production of the prisoners before the concerned courts.

District and sessions judges of the twin cities were directed to pass appropriate orders after applying judicial mind in the facts and circumstances of the case in accordance with law, and fix the cases of those prisoners, who could not be released due to non-availability of sureties, immediately when courts open after Eid holidays on Thursday for their release on personal bonds.

The Punjab's DIG Prisons briefed the chief justice about the number of prisoners, including convicts, undertrials, juvenile, old and women.

He said that in pursuance of directions issued by Justice Iftikhar during his visit to the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, release of the prisoners had been streamlined and many people, who were confined on account of non-payment of fine, had been released on payments received from NGOs and philanthropists. Only few cases are pending, he added.

The chief justice was also informed that the condition of prisons had been improved and the requisite food items were being provided to the prisoners.

The director reclamation and probationers and the parole officers of Rawalpindi district were directed to make recommendations to the authorities on regular basis regarding release of prisoners on parole and pursue the same.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry also visited the barracks of women prisoners and passed orders on the applications received from the inmates. During the visit, the chief justice met the prisoners admitted to the hospital and inquired about provision of medical treatment, availability of medicines, etc. He directed the jail authorities and medical officer to give proper treatment to the patients.

The prisoners thanked the chief justice for paying visit to them on Eid and listening to their grievances for redressal.

The chief justice also distributed food among the prisoners on behalf of a philanthropist.