KARACHI   -   Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday awarded 60-day remission to all prisoners in jails across the province.

He also ordered release of the prisoners qualifying for remission before Eid so that they could celebrate the religious festival with their families.

The 60-day remission awarded by the Sindh chief minister will benefit 3,613 prisoners and over 100 of them will be released from different jails.

The chief minister during his visit to Central Prison Karachi on May 28 had directed the Home Department to send him a reference regarding award of special remission to convicted prisoners languishing in Sindh jails. Therefore, the Home Department sent a summary to the chief minister for remission that he approved on Saturday.

The special remission was approved by the chief minister under Rule 216 of the Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978. They are as follows:

Special remission of 60 days has been given to all convicts, except the condemned prisoners and those convicted of murder, espionage, subversion, anti-state activities, terrorist activities, rape, robbery, dacoity and those undergoing sentences under the Foreign Act, 1946, if they have undergone two third of their substantive sentence of imprisonment.

Special remission of 60 days was approved for all convicts of life imprisonment, except those convicted for murder, espionage, terrorism, anti-state activities, sectarianism, rape, robbery, dacoity, kidnapping/abduction and terrorism acts, if they have undergone two third of their substantive sentences of imprisonment.

A special remission of 60 days per year from the date of sentence for male prisoners who are 65 years of age or above and have undergone at least one third of their substantive sentence, except those involved in culpable homicide and those involved in terrorist acts, as defined in the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

A special remission of 60 days per year was approved from the date of sentence for male prisoners who are 60 years of age or above and have undergone at least one third of their sentence except those involved in culpable homicide and those involved in terrorist acts.

A special remission of 60 days per year from the date of sentence was approved for female prisoners who are 60 years of age or above and have undergone at least one third of their sentence except those involved in culpable homicide and terrorist act.

A special remission of 60 days per year from the date of sentence was approved for female prisoners who are accompanying children and are serving sentence of imprisonment for crimes, except those who are convicted on charges of culpable homicide and terrorist acts.

A special remission of 60 days per year from the date of sentence was approved for juvenile convicts (under 18 years of age) who have served one third of their substantive sentence, except those involved in culpable homicide, terrorist acts, rape, robbery, dacoity, kidnapping/abduction and anti-state activities.