LAHORE: The Abdul Aleem Khan Foundation (AAKF) has claimed to have paid millions of rupees as Diat (blood money) for the release of 50 poor prisoners confined in different jails of Punjab in petty crimes.

Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said in a statement on Monday that the AAKF paid millions of rupees as ‘diat’ to ensure release of a total of 50 poor prisoners, who could not pay their fine amounts, before Eid-ul-Fitr. He said theses prisoners were released from Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, and Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.

The minister said these prisoners were behind bars even after completion of their respective sentences only due to non-payment of fines for or diat for various crimes but now they got the opportunity to breathe in the open air. He added that the released prisoners were from Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Gujarat and other cities who paid their gratitude to the foundation.

According to Aleem, the release of the prisoners was purely done on humanitarian grounds so that those who endure the hardships of incarceration due to financial constraints can get rid of it. He said that hatred should be for crime and citizens imprisoned in any compulsion or helplessness should be helped out.

He said the foundation was working on various projects for the welfare of prisoners in different jails but now going a step further, the jail authorities have provided relief to the inmates from different cities with their dues.

Abdul Aleem Khan expressed hope that these inmates would come out of the jails and become useful citizens of the society and will not commit anything again that would put them under such compulsions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021