Pakistan’s prisons are bursting at the seams with over 102,000 inmates in facilities built for far fewer, fuelling a humanitarian crisis marked by overcrowding, delays and dire living conditions that demand urgent reform.

Pakistan’s prison system is operating well beyond its limits, with recent official data revealing a population of 102,026 inmates crammed into 128 facilities nationwide that have an official capacity of around 65,811. This translates to a national occupancy rate of 152.9 per cent – and as high as 163.1 per cent according to the latest November 2024 figures from the office of the chief justice of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Punjab state alone holds 61,813 prisoners in space meant for just 37,217, pushing its occupancy to 173.6 per cent. The crisis has worsened despite modest infrastructure gains, leaving inmates in conditions that fall far short of international human rights standards.

A joint report released in January 2025 by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), the National Academy of Prison Administration and Justice Project Pakistan paints a grim picture. Prisons remain severely overcrowded, unhygienic and under-resourced, with inmates facing inadequate food, clean water, healthcare and rehabilitation opportunities. The report warns that the system is at a “breaking point”, exacerbated by prolonged judicial delays, outdated colonial-era laws and over-reliance on custodial sentences.

Chronic Overcrowding Strains Resources

Cells originally designed for three people now routinely hold 15 or more, forcing inmates to sleep in shifts. In extreme cases, such as Karachi Central Prison, 8,518 inmates occupy space meant for 2,400 – an occupancy rate of nearly 355 per cent. Across the country, three-quarters of jails exceed 100 per cent capacity, with some facilities in Punjab and Sindh operating at 200-300 per cent.

This overcrowding is not new but has persisted despite Punjab’s construction of 13 new prisons, 140 additional barracks and 928 death cells since 2010. While these additions increased authorised capacity to 37,563 in Punjab, the inmate population continues to outpace infrastructure. Similar pressures exist in Sindh (161.42 per cent occupancy) and, to a lesser extent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (102.50 per cent) and Balochistan (115.60 per cent).

Under-Trial Prisoners Dominate the Population

One of the most alarming statistics is that 74,918 inmates – 73.41 per cent of the total – are still awaiting trial or under trial. This figure has risen steadily from 66 per cent in 2017. In every province, under-trial prisoners outnumber convicted ones, reflecting systemic judicial delays, ineffective bail mechanisms and an over-reliance on pre-trial detention.

Foreign prisoners number 1,107 (as of April 2024), many of them Afghan nationals held in Sindh and Balochistan. Juveniles (1,584) and women (1,550, or 1.5 per cent of the total) fare little better, often housed in mixed or inadequate facilities. The high proportion of under-trial detainees not only inflates overcrowding but also denies thousands their right to a speedy trial, turning prisons into de facto long-term holding pens.

Health Crisis and Deplorable Living Conditions

Overcrowding has turned prisons into breeding grounds for disease. Inmates report unhygienic conditions, insufficient medical care and reliance on bribes for basic painkillers or treatment. A former death-row prisoner from Mandi Bahauddin described cells so cramped that “one’s foot would be touching someone’s head”. Exploitative labour practices force even sick and elderly prisoners into long hours without regard for health.

Drug-related offences account for 23,367 inmates (23.21 per cent of the total), a surge driven by the 2022 amendment to the control of narcotics substances act that removed parole, probation and remissions for most offenders. Healthcare deficiencies leave prisoners vulnerable to communicable diseases, while mental health support remains virtually non-existent. Earlier Human Rights Watch investigations described the situation as “a nightmare for everyone”, a description that remains painfully relevant today.

Provincial Disparities and Limited Progress

Punjab bears the heaviest burden, housing 60.7 per cent of all inmates, yet it has made some infrastructure strides. Sindh operates three dedicated women’s prisons and three juvenile facilities, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has shown better use of parole (1,605 releases in 2024). Balochistan, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan lag further behind, still relying largely on 1978-era rules.

Death-row numbers stand at 3,646 (up 1.17 per cent from 2023), with no executions since 2019 but mounting delays in appeals. Narcotics incarcerations continue to climb despite low conviction rates in some provinces. Non-custodial measures such as probation and community service remain grossly underused due to underfunding and staffing shortages.

Calls for Reform Grow Louder

Multiple committees – including the Prime Minister’s prisoners’ aid committee (2019), provincial reform panels and the Chief Justice’s 2024 initiative – have repeatedly recommended updating the outdated Pakistan Prison Rules to align with UN standards (Mandela Rules, Bangkok Rules and Beijing Rules). The law and justice commission proposed a national jail reform policy in November 2024, focusing on alternative sentencing, rehabilitation and reducing pre-trial detention.

Yet implementation remains stalled. Experts urge decriminalising petty offences linked to poverty, restoring parole for drug cases, expanding probation services and creating specialised facilities for women, juveniles and those with mental health needs. Without decisive action, the system risks further deterioration, violating both constitutional rights and international obligations.

As the NCHR report concludes, comprehensive judicial reform and a shift from punishment to rehabilitation are essential.