Pakistan’s prisons are facing severe overcrowding, with people awaiting trial making up nearly three-fourths of the country’s prison population, a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report has found.The report, ‘Beyond the Prison Wall: Reducing Overcrowding in Pakistan’s Prisons’, said 73.41% of inmates were under-trial in 2024. The share has gone up from 66% in 2017, The Express Tribune reported.The report said Pakistan’s prisons were operating at 152.2% of their approved capacity on average during July and August 2024.The HRCP said simply building more prisons would not address the problem. It pointed to delays in the justice system, including lengthy trials, weak bail procedures and the widespread use of pre-trial detention.Punjab faces an even bigger problem. According to official figures cited by the HRCP, 74,773 prisoners were held in 45 prisons across the province in September 2026. The sanctioned capacity was 39,204, meaning the prisons were operating at nearly 191% of capacity.Of the total inmates, 54,932 were awaiting trial.Punjab has added new prisons, barracks and other facilities over the years, but the report said the additional capacity has not matched the rise in the number of prisoners.The scale of the problem has grown majorly. Punjab province had 52,803 prisoners against a capacity of 21,527 in 2010. Overcrowding in the province stood at 173.6% in 2024, according to figures cited by The Express Tribune.The HRCP blamed arbitrary arrests, delays in investigations and lengthy prosecution for the growing number of people held without conviction.As a result, many accused people remain behind bars for months or even years while waiting for investigations and court proceedings to move forward, the report said.
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