LAHORE: IG Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir has said 1,531 poor and helpless prisoners were released after payment of diyyat and fine amounting to Rs 126.913 million during the last four years.
Talking to APP, he said this huge amount was generated through donations from philanthropists. These prisoners had been languishing in jails for non-payment of diyyat and fine due to their poverty.
He said 347 prisoners were released in 2012 after payment of 18.925 million and 466 were released in 2013 after payment of 29.245 million diyyat and fine in 2013. Also, 436 prisoners were released in 2014 and 282 in 2015 after payment of Rs 52.927 million and Rs 17.882 million as diyyat and fine, respectively.
The IG prisons said philanthropists had also promised to provide Rs 50.7 million for those who were still in jails for non-payment of diyyat and fine. He hoped he would be able to collect this amount from philanthropists soon to get the remaining prisoners released.
He said that currently 111 prisoners were languishing in jails for non-payment of diyyat and fine, amount to Rs 297.473 million.
He said currently 600 prisoners were on parole and 20,000 had been released on probation.
He said this was the largest number of prisoners on parole or probation since the creation of Pakistan.
