The court directed Deputy Commissioner to decide the surety bonds, with clear observation that the government should pay the surety bonds if any prisoner fails to pay.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March 20th, 2020) Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered to release prisoners involved in petty crimes amid fears of Cornavirus
Chief Justice Athar Minallah passed the order while taking up the case of prisoners with minor crimes. The CJ directed the authorities concerned to release all those prisoners who were jailed with petty crimes or were jailed for less than seven years.
“Such huge number of prisoners in jails may be dangerous at this time of Coronavirus as the virus may spread in jails if any of the prisoners contracted it,” the CJ observed.
He also remarked that Iranian courts ordered to release the prisoners, and therefore, they were passing the same orders to save others from this pandemic.
The CJ said that all the prisoners with petty crimes or imprisonment with less than seven years may come out on bails by depositing their surety bonds. He also said that the government would pay the surety bonds if the prisoners failed to do so.
The decision has come at the moment when there are over 453 Coronavirus patients across the country. The data showed that at least three people and hundreds of others are infected of Coronavirus in different parts of the country. There are 78 confirmed cases in Punjab, 81 in Balochistan, 23 in KP, two in Islamabad and 24 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza said a list of hospitals at the national level was prepared which would serve as the first line of defence against the coronavirus.
Talking to media persons in Islamabad on Friday, he said the government is considering to reserve the Federal general hospital in Islamabad for treatment of coronavirus patients. He said we are also in talks with a couple of private hospitals on the matter. The Special Assistant said arrangements have been made to deal with any kind of situation. The Special Assistant on National Health Services visited Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences today and reviewed the arrangements there.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zafar Mirza said a helpline has been established at the national level to respond to the queries of the people about coronavirus. He said we are also starting training programs for the doctors in a week time to better prepare them to meet the challenge. He said the doctors need to keep their morale high in the prevailing situation.
