Lahore: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has issued a call for urgent reforms to address severe overcrowding in the nation's prisons. The organization warned that this issue stems not from a lack of facilities, but from fundamental shortcomings in the criminal justice system.

According to HRCP, the findings were detailed in their policy paper, "Beyond the Prison Wall: Reducing overcrowding in Pakistan's prisons." The paper highlights that, as of 2024, Pakistan's prisons were operating at 152 percent of their official capacity. A significant portion of this overcrowding is due to under-trial prisoners, who make up nearly 75 percent of the inmate population. The HRCP study suggests that overcrowded conditions compromise prisoners' rights and contribute to inadequate sanitation, spread of diseases, mental health issues, violence, and reduced rehabilitation opportunities.

The government's focus on constructing new prisons as a solution has been critiqued by HRCP, which argues that merely expanding prison capacity fails to address the root causes of the problem. These root causes include ineffective bail systems, excessive pre-trial detentions, prolonged legal proceedings, minimal use of probation and parole, and incarceration for minor offenses.

HRCP advocates for a shift in focus from incarceration to rehabilitation and alternative sentencing. They recommend aligning bail laws with the constitutional presumption of innocence, requiring law enforcement and prosecutors to justify the necessity of detention. Additionally, HRCP urges the courts to apply remand powers sparingly, enforce statutory delays as grounds for bail, bolster independent prosecution services, and increase the use of alternatives to prosecution. The organization also calls for making probation and parole more accessible to inmates.