PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s prison system is facing mounting pressure as the majority of inmates across the province remain under trial, with only a small proportion having been convicted.
According to a Samaa TV report, 11,382 prisoners are currently held in 39 jails across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Of these, only around 2,000 inmates have been convicted, meaning more than 9,000 prisoners are awaiting the conclusion of their cases.
The large number of under trial prisoners reflects the burden being put on the prison system of the province due to the delay in the cases.
KP Prison System Under Pressure
The case of the KP prison system is a part of the broader problem of prison overcrowding in Pakistan’s prison system.
Countrywide, there are around 110,000 prisoners being detained in the prison system against the total capacity of around 64,000 inmates.
While Punjab has the largest number of prisoners, about 70,000 prisoners are being detained in 45 jails, Sindh is detaining around 25,000 inmates in 23 jails.
Majority of KP Inmates Under Trial
As seen from the statistics, the prisoners who are convicted are just a tiny proportion of the total number of prisoners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While there are around 2,000 inmates convicted, the majority of the prisoners are under trial without receiving a verdict from the court.
KP Distributes Over 306,000 Flour Bags at Official Rates—Check Price
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department has released figures showing that more than 306,000 flour bags were distributed to consumers at government-fixed rates across the province last week.
According to the department, a total of 306,303 flour bags were supplied through 1,639 active flour dealers operating across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Peshawar Division accounted for the highest distribution, with 86,854 bags, followed by Hazara Division with 65,682 and Malakand Division with 59,264 bags.
The figures showed that 40,401 bags were distributed in Mardan Division, while 33,402 were supplied in Dera Ismail Khan Division. Bannu received 20,700 bags, while 23,224 bags were distributed in Kohat Division.
Action Against Dealers Over Violations
The Food Department also took action against dealers and flour mills accused of violating prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs).
In Peshawar, the quotas and licences of 14 flour dealers were cancelled, while action was taken against 11 dealers in Khyber district.
In Charsadda, the quota of one flour mill and seven dealers was cancelled. Similarly, the quota of two flour mills and 15 dealers in Nowshera was withdrawn.
The department said the provincial government continues to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of wheat daily to flour mills from its strategic reserves to support the availability of flour at controlled prices.
Under the government scheme, a 20-kilogram bag of subsidised flour is being sold for Rs2,520 through designated dealers.
Teams from the Food Department and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Authority are also conducting regular inspections to monitor the quality of wheat and flour being supplied to consumers.
Government Vows Action Over Substandard Flour
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Food Dr Muhammad Israr Khan urged citizens to monitor the quality of flour produced from government-supplied wheat and immediately report cases involving substandard products.
He said flour mills found supplying poor-quality flour would face cancellation of their government wheat quota as well as legal action.
The special assistant said the provincial government was taking all possible measures to ensure that citizens receive affordable and quality flour.
He also explained that the increase in prices of flour in the country was partly because of the restrictions placed by the Punjab government on the interprovincial flow of wheat and flour.
Dr Israr Khan has mentioned that there are still some hindrances for the free interprovincial trade of wheat and flour, resulting in the increase of prices of flour in the country.
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