The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Thursday sought report from Home Secretary Punjab about release of prisoners in line with remission granted by the president of Pakistan, while exercising his constitutional power in this regard. The court passed these orders in a petition filed by a bar member and chairman Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who submitted that more than 700 prisoners are illegally confined in the Punjab jails.
He said the criminal proceedings should be initiated against officials of Punjab government causing hindrance in way of implementation of presidential orders and they should be tried under section 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code. He pointed out that the President of Pakistan on April 9 granted special remission in sentence of convicted prisoners by exercising his power under article 45 of the constitution.
But Punjab government had not complied with president's order so far. He said respondents including Punjab chief secretary, Punjab home secretary, inspector general of police (prisons), and all superintendents of jails of the province are under constitutional and legal obligations to obey the presidential order.
He said any deviation or violation of the presidential orders fell under sedition, punishable under section 124-A of Pakistan Penal Code. He prayed to the court to issue directions to the respondents for immediate release of all prisoners who were being illegally detained in all jails of the province despite the fact that they were eligible to get pardon through presidential order.
He further sought action against Punjab chief secretary, home secretary, IGP (prisons), all superintendents of jails of the province involved in ignoring implementation of presidential orders and hold an inquiry for not following the presidential orders.