15 women on death row in Punjab prisons

Data reveals that Punjab has 43 operational prisons

By Sher Ali Khalti
December 26, 2024
A policeman gestures at the entrance of the District Jail Lahore on March 20, 2021. — AFP/file
A policeman gestures at the entrance of the District Jail Lahore on March 20, 2021. — AFP/file

LAHORE: At least 15 women are currently on death row in Punjab, with three of them sentenced to death under blasphemy charges, The News has learnt.

According to data obtained by The News, these figures were released by the Inspectorate General of Punjab Prisons.

In response to applications filed under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act by the Legal Awareness Watch and Frontline, the Punjab Prisons Department disclosed that 15 women are facing death sentences in prisons across Punjab.

The data reveals that Punjab has 43 operational prisons. A detailed breakdown of female inmates on death row shows two women in Central Jail Lahore, two in Central Jail Rawalpindi, and one each in District Jails Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Jhelum, and Jhang. Additionally, there are three women in District Jail Shahpur and three in Women Jail Multan.

This information was officially signed and released by the Chief Public Information Officer on December 15, 2024 in response to the RTI requests. The data highlights the challenges and complexities surrounding the plight of female prisoners on death row in Punjab, particularly those sentenced under blasphemy and other offences. It raises important discussions about justice, rehabilitation and the gendered implications of the penal system.