Five dozen women await release: notification not received by jail officials

Around five dozens jailed women in southern Punjab prisons under Hudood laws or minor crimes were still awaiting release as notification under Law Reforms Ordinance 2006 had not reached here by Sunday, and women jail officials were found confused in finalising the lists of women prisoners due to non-receipt of notified criteria.
Rights activists welcomed the new law reforms and amending clause 497 Cr PC relates to grant of bail to women in minor crimes, but the officials said they were unsure and worried about selection and finalisation of prisoners falling under the law reforms category because they had not yet received the announced Ordinance notification, while the prisoners were forcing for release.
Sources said at least 350 women prisoners would benefit from various jails in Punjab under President Pervez Musharraf's law reforms announcement. Women not involved in crimes of heinous nature might number 1,000 imprisoned in the province.
Sources said the amendments could provide relief to more than 58 women prisoners out of 240 total female inmates in southern Punjab jails, including 181 at Multan women jail, 35 at Jhang males jail and 24 Sargodha males jail.
At least 103 cases are under trial with Multan SP investigation relating to love marriage, Hadood and other nature cases which were registered with different police stations and later forwarded to SP investigation under amended laws.
However, a high graph of registration of women complainants has been detected with Mumtazabad and Jalalpur Sadar police stations registering 11 cases to each and referred to SP investigation.
OTHER POLICE STATIONS WHICH HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS AGAINST WOMEN ARE: Delhi Gate (2), Cantonment (3), Muzaffarabad (7), Qutabpur (3), Jalilabad (1), Cheyllyak (3), Bohar Gate (1), Lohari gate (1), Gulgasht (8), Multan Sadar (2), New Multan (4), Setal Marri (1), Alpha (10), Makhdoom Rashid (3), Basti Malok (7), Budhla Sannt (1), Rawan (10), Shujaabad city (8), Shujaabad Sadar 3, Jalalpur city (3) and Jalalpur Sadar (11).