Nearly 3 in 4 Pakistan inmates await trial amid prison overcrowding
A report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan highlights that nearly 75% of the country's prison population consists of inmates awaiting trial. The report attributes this severe overcrowding to systemic judicial delays, weak bail procedures, and excessive pre-trial detention.
Why it matters
The findings underscore a critical failure in the judicial system, raising significant human rights concerns regarding the treatment of detainees and the efficiency of the legal process.
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.
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