Approval of criminal procedure code a major step: experts

The law experts of Multan have termed the approval of Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment Bill 2008) a major step aimed at bringing a solace to many prisoners awarded capital punishment by the sessions courts.
The bill, approved by the cabinet recently, says the condemned prisoners, awarded death sentences by the sessions courts, will not be confined to the death cells unless the sentence is confirmed by the high courts or the Supreme Court in case of an appeal by the prisoners.
Due to intricacy of legal process, a large number of prisoners were made to adapt to the death cell conditions despite the fact the process of their appeals was under way. Deputy Attorney General Mian Abbas Ahmed said it was one of the few major steps which would be a harbinger of relief for the condemned prisoners.
He said it was a welcome step with regard to ensure the human rights. Abbas said putting such prisoners in shackles in the death cells without their sentences being upheld by the high courts or the Supreme Court had always remained a major concern for the lawyers' community.
Human Rights Association Multan Chapter Rashid Rehman termed the approval of the CrPC (Amendment Bill 2008) a feather in the government cape. He said the prisoners had to languish in the death cells without their crime being confirmed by the higher courts. He said more than one prisoners were stuffed in a single death cell in the most inhuman conditions in many cases.
Iqbal said contrary to the laws being practised world-wide, it was strange that people were interrogated by police directly after registering FIRs with any cognisable offence. He said "We should emulate the famous saying that everyone appears to be innocent unless proved guilty.
"Chaudhry Pervez Aftab advocate said it was good to hear a right thing as many sentences awarded by the sessions' courts were reversed by the high courts or the Supreme Court. The prisoners had to languish in the death cells for many years without being proven of guilty, he added.
He said even ordinary prisoners were treated in a better way in the US and the UK and every effort was made for their rehabilitation through their induction in community service programmes. He suggested certain concepts in legal matters should be followed in the country and the government should take the lead in this sphere.
Qamar-uzzaman Khan advocate, an expert in criminal cases, said the step was definitely a good one which would bring succour to a large number of the condemned prisoners. He said thrusting the prisoners in quarantine who were awarded death sentence by the sessions' courts without being upheld by the high courts and the Supreme Court was against the basic human rights.