Nine special persons on death row in Punjab prisons

LAHORE:At least nine physically disabled male prisoners are currently on death row across Punjab’s 43 operational jails, according to official data released by the office of IGP Prisons.

The figures were disclosed in response to a right to information (RTI) application filed by Advocate Sarmad Ali, a noted human rights lawyer and Director of Legal Awareness Watch (LAW). Sarmad also chairs the Juvenile Justice and Child Rights Committee of the Lahore Bar Association. The report further revealed that a total of 1,093 men and 15 women are presently facing capital punishment in Punjab. Three women among them have been sentenced under blasphemy laws.

Speaking to The News, Advocate Sarmad Ali underscored the grave legal and ethical concerns surrounding the execution of disabled individuals. “Under both international human rights instruments and Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, persons with physical or mental disabilities are neither eligible for the death penalty nor can they be executed,” he said. He added that continuing to keep disabled prisoners on death row violates Pakistan’s obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which Pakistan is a signatory. He urged the government to initiate a review mechanism for such cases, stressing the need for urgent reforms in the criminal justice system to protect the rights of vulnerable inmates.

Sarmad also called on the Punjab government to ensure that prison conditions for inmates - especially those with disabilities - are brought into conformity with human dignity and legal norms.