Islamabad: (RightNow) Pakistan’s prisons are experiencing overcrowding due to delayed court trials. The burden on prisons has increased as timely decisions are not made by the courts.

The capacity of prisons across the country is 64,000, but the number of prisoners has reached 110,000. This increase is primarily due to under-trial prisoners filling the jails.

In Punjab, 45 prisons house 70,000 prisoners, with a capacity for only 38,000. Of these, only 16,000 are convicted, while the rest are under trial.

Sindh’s 23 prisons contain 25,000 prisoners, with a capacity of 14,000. Among them, 4,000 are convicted, while the rest are under trial.

It is noteworthy that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 39 prisons hold 11,382 prisoners, of which only 2,000 are convicted. The delay in court proceedings is increasing the burden on jails.