ISLAMABAD: On Friday, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman of the National Judicial Automation Committee, Justice Yahya Afridi, presided over an online meeting to assess the progress on the decisions made during the November 2nd meeting in Lahore regarding jail reforms.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Ms. Aalia Neelum, along with Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza, Administrative/Monitoring Judge of Prisons in Punjab, Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi, former Judge of the LHC, as well as representatives from the Home and Prosecution Departments, Punjab’s Inspector Generals of Police and Prisons, Ms. Aminah Qadir, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer, Senator Ahad Khan Cheema, and Ms. Khadija Shah.
During the meeting, the Chief Justice appointed Ms. Aminah Qadir as the coordinator for the sub-committee on Jail Reforms. He directed her, along with Ahad Khan Cheema and Ms. Khadija Shah, to visit the prisons in Punjab as part of their mandate, to prepare a comprehensive report in consultation with other stakeholders in the criminal justice system.
The Chief Justice emphasized the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders, including the Lahore High Court, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, and the Police and Prisons Departments, to assist the sub-committee in its work.
Additionally, he urged relevant institutions to share their views and recommendations for improving the criminal justice system. Once completed, the report will be submitted to Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi for review and will be presented to the committee in its next meeting.
The Chief Justice also directed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan to provide full logistical support to the sub-committee members and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting reforms in the criminal justice system.
