President Zardari Grants 180-Day Sentence Reduction for Prisoners on Pakistan Day and Eid-ul-Fitr

Islamabad:On the occasion of Pakistan Day and Eid-ul-Fitr, President Asif Ali Zardari has approved a special 180-day sentence reduction for prisoners. The approval was granted under Article 45 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

According to a statement released by the Press Information Department (PID), this reduction in sentences will not apply to prisoners convicted of serious crimes such as **murder**, **espionage**, or involvement in **anti-state activities**. Additionally, prisoners convicted of crimes like **rape**, **theft**, **robbery**, **kidnapping**, or **terrorism** will not benefit from this reduction.

The sentence reduction also excludes those convicted of **financial crimes** and offenses that result in harm to the national treasury. Prisoners sentenced under the **Foreign Nationals Act, 1946**, and **Narcotics Control (Amendment) Act, 2022** will also not be eligible for the sentence reduction.

However, the special reduction will apply to:
– **Male prisoners** aged **65 years or older** who have served at least one-third of their sentence.
– **Female prisoners** aged **60 years or older** who have completed at least one-third of their sentence.
– **Female prisoners** who are **accompanied by children** in prison.
– **Prisoners under the age of 18** who have completed at least one-third of their sentence.

This move is intended to provide some relief to those prisoners who are deemed eligible, particularly elderly individuals, women with children, and juvenile offenders.