Sajida awoke with the first ray of the morning sun, instinctively glancing over at the innocent face that lay asleep next to her. As she lay back down on the bed, she began to softly stroke her one-year-old son's head affectionately.
From the windows, the sun had now begun to illuminate much of the hall that was Sajida’s residence, which she shared with dozens of women. Soon enough, the silence was replaced by the chatter of women starting their day. Sajida kept watching her youngest son sleep, when her peaceful trance was rudely interrupted by a loud voice. It was an announcement, coming from outside the barrack, of a warden who opens the women's barracks every morning. This was a normal day for Sajida. She soon busied herself with her everyday chores, much like the other prisoners she shared the hall with.
In the meantime, when she heard her son's cry, she leaned towards him and lifted him onto her lap. For Sajida, life in prison is all the more arduous because of her two sons, for whom she is unable to provide even the most basic necessities due to a lack of funds.
Her elder son, Umer, is just three years old and caring for both children at the same time often becomes a nightmare for Sajida. While she feeds her infant, Umer often does not get adequate meals for a child his age, making do with whatever is served to the adult prisoners.
In March 2021, Sajida was sentenced to six years of imprisonment under sections 378 and 356 of Pakistan Penal Code, in theft and assault cases, when her younger child was just two months old. Since her imprisonment, neither her husband nor parents or any other family member has ever visited her at the Quetta District Jail.
In all, 40 women, including Sajida, are currently incarcerated at the internment facility. Along with these women, 13 children aged between two and eight years, are also residing without having committed any crime, as per Muhammad Ishaq Zahri, the jail superintendent. Among the 40 detainees, 16 are facing trial, while 24 are serving sentences in different cases. The oldest woman serving a sentence is aged 45, while the youngest is 19 years old.
Shagufta, 45, is often looked at as the mother of these women prisoners, who respect her greatly, for being kind and supportive to fellow inmates. “I have been in prison for the last six years now, serving my life imprisonment, for committing a murder,” Shagufta told. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court of Quetta in 2016, for murdering her husband. Her three children age 15, 17 and 20 now live with her parents, who once in every month come to visit her in District Jail. Being the oldest, she supports vulnerable women serving their sentence or in jail during trial.
“We are together in this, so we try to look after each other,” she said, adding that most women in the jail are from poor backgrounds, so they depend on whatever is provided within the jail.
According to the World Prison Brief report 2021, 38 out of every one hundred thousand people in Pakistan are in jails. The number of prisoners in prisons in the country is 85,670, including in pending and remand cases.
For Sajida and other inmates, menstrual hygiene is another unresolved issue. Women do not have access to sanitary products within prison. Jail authorities do not provide any sanitary napkins to the women citing unavailability of funds.
IG Prisons Balochistan said a letter was sent to the higher authorities on behalf of the Department of Jails Balochistan for the provision of education and essential items for underage prisoners, women and children, by requesting the release of appropriate funds. “Despite repeated letters, no funds till date have been allocated for the provision of sanitary products,” he said.
“Those who can afford to do so buy sanitary napkins, but others resort to using old cloth and rags,” Sajida added.
According to her, some women receive these sanitary napkins from their family members, who buy those from outside prison, who also distribute some among others to help them as much as they can, but it’s never enough. Sajida and many other inmates feel reluctant to ask for sanitary pads, whenever their fathers or brothers visit them, which reveals deep rooted societal taboos.
In 2000, the population of prisoners in Pakistan was 78,938, which reached 85,670 in 2022. The ratio of women imprisoned in jails across the country is 1.5 percent, while the juvenile ratio stands at 1.2 percent.
According to a recent quarterly report by the Federal Ombudsman, the highest number of female prisoners in the country is in Punjab – 920 - followed by 240 in Sindh, 196 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 43 in Balochistan. Of the 11 prisons in Balochistan, women prisoners are housed only in two prisons. Apart from Quetta and Gaddani, there is no proper arrangement to keep women prisoners in any jail in the province. Due to this state of affairs, most female prisoners from across the province are transferred to Quetta Jail.
Prison rules have been amended in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but there is still a lack of arrangements to ensure the safety of women and children. In contrast, Balochistan has not yet amended its prisons laws.
According to the Prisons (Amendment) Act, 2020 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a women's prison to be established in the province to provide better facilities to women prisoners. As per the amended Act, women prisoners are to be provided basic hygiene, menstrual products within jail. While food scale, availability of lady doctors, woman council will be ensured.
Due to the non-amendment of laws, many facilities are not available to women in prisons, in the current context. Shahida Batool, who works for the rights of women prisoners, says that the condition of women prisoners in the prisons of Balochistan is alarming. Shahida says, there is a severe lack of basic necessities for women in the jails of the province. A hall houses all female prisoners.
"Washrooms lack cleanliness, due to which diseases arise. Women often face dehydration. In summer, if the electricity goes out, it becomes difficult for women to breathe because of the limited space," she said.
She says the barrack does not have enough space in the hall, except for beds, to even walk around, when women are locked inside at night. Women with children are not even provided with extra beds. While, nursing and pregnant women prisoners in Balochistan do not have access to adequate nutrition.
“They are not given the required nutritional support that is needed during pregnancy nor is there any concept of prenatal healthcare,” she further said.
Batool said, Prisons for women do not even have lady doctors, so the female inmates are reluctant to seek help.
“The prisoner pregnant (PP) and prisoner lactating (PL) women need some extra foods in addition to those sanctioned for regular women prisoners. For PP, women the additional foods sanctioned are milk (467 g) and sugar (29 g), while for PL women the additional foods are milk (700 g), fresh fruits (233 g) and fresh vegetables (233 g).
According to the report of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Human Rights, Quetta, Inspector General Prisons confirmed that there has been no change in the scale of food given to prisoners in Balochistan since the British rule, however, they pointed out that it is insufficient budget that affects food supply.
As per the Prison manual, women prisoners get three meals a day, including breakfast, which includes 150 gram roti (bread) and tea. They get meat and chicken once a week for lunch or dinner.
IG Prisons Balochistan Shuja Kasi also admitted that there are posts of Lady Medical Officers in all 11 jails of Balochistan, but they are also vacant, because they refuse to accept postings.
“There are no facilities available for the lady doctors, for instance accommodation, risk allowance, hard area allowance, which is why no lady doctor accepts postings at these jails,” Kasi told.
IG Prisons further said, “we have sent several letters to the Home and Health Departments, to address such issues, so that we can appoint lady doctors in the prisons.
Amina Zaman, who works on the project of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan regarding jail reforms, says that there are cases of beatings against women in the prison reported in prisons of Punjab, but she did not observe any incident of sexual exploitation.
No incident of abuse or torture has been reported in the women barracks of prisons in Balochistan, as per the Inspector General of Prisons Balochistan.
In June 2016, it was revealed in the Senate Standing Committee that incidents of night-time abuse of women inmates in various prisons of the country took place, which cannot be possible without the connivance of the prison staff. It was suggested in the meeting that prisons for male and female prisoners should be constructed at a distance and female superintendents should be appointed in addition to the staff in the female prisons.
Inspector General of Prisons Balochistan Malik Shujauddin Kasi said that steps are being taken to train prison staff and also to provide education, skills and basic facilities to women, children and juvenile prisoners in the prisons of Balochistan.
Shujauddin Kasi said that reforms are being implemented to make the prisons of Balochistan an ideal example of a reformed society. "With the instructions and consultation of the Federal and Provincial Ombudsperson, facilities provided to the prisoners in the jails are gradually being improved and the old jail manual is being updated in a phased manner," IG Prisons Kasi said.
Farina Khattak works with an organization for the welfare of women in prisons in Quetta. While commenting on the situation of the women's ward of the District Jail Quetta, she said, "my concern regarding the women's ward is a lack of facilities for the children who are living with their mothers."
She said that there were 13 children with the female prisoners, one of whom was a one-year-old child. "It is an alarming situation that the children have various needs which are not available in the jail ward, we then took upon the responsibility to donate the necessities for the children which were not available there."
She said that these children have the right to get all the facilities stipulated under the law, including education. "Another big problem is that women prisoners do not have money to hire a lawyer for legal proceedings. Although most of the female prisoners are imprisoned for minor or petty crimes."
Farina Khattak stressed that women prisoners also need access to mental health care and psychologists, because most of the women in jails are suffering from severe psychological problems.
Superintendent District Jail Quetta Muhammad Ishaq Zahri said that teaching staff has been appointed by the Department of Jail and Social Welfare for the education and training of children in the jail along with women. However, there are temporary problems due to non-availability of books and teaching materials
"Due to non-allocation of budget for health and hygiene and monthly needs of women prisoners, they are facing difficulties in providing facilities," jail Superintendent Quetta said. He further said that all available resources are being utilized to provide facilities to the prisoners as per the jail manual. Make prisons an ideal example of a reformed society. "If non-governmental welfare organizations lend a helping hand to the government and maintain continuity of support for teaching services, the education and training of children accompanied by women can be continued without interruption," he said.
Ishaq Zehri said that special instructions have been given to the jail staff to treat women prisoners according to laws and ethics. Along with non-provision of facilities to women prisoners, claims are being made by the prison administration that the provisions of the basics will improve, but Sajida and dozens of other prisoners like her do not expect any significant improvement.
Sajida believes that she will have to endure the same situation during her prison term in the future, but for her, her child's suffering remains her biggest concern.
“Negligence in menstrual hygiene can result in biological disorders for example different sorts of infections but unfortunately awareness concerning this area of life is not highlighted due to socio-cultural trends of our society,” Dr. Afreen Anwar said, a senior physician said. She says in the present age, menstrual hygiene needs more attention because of rapidly increasing active participation of females in different walks of life. Dr. Afreen insists raising awareness among the prison staff and prisoners on issues of menstrual hygiene.
From the windows, the sun had now begun to illuminate much of the hall that was Sajida’s residence, which she shared with dozens of women. Soon enough, the silence was replaced by the chatter of women starting their day. Sajida kept watching her youngest son sleep, when her peaceful trance was rudely interrupted by a loud voice. It was an announcement, coming from outside the barrack, of a warden who opens the women's barracks every morning. This was a normal day for Sajida. She soon busied herself with her everyday chores, much like the other prisoners she shared the hall with.
In the meantime, when she heard her son's cry, she leaned towards him and lifted him onto her lap. For Sajida, life in prison is all the more arduous because of her two sons, for whom she is unable to provide even the most basic necessities due to a lack of funds.
Her elder son, Umer, is just three years old and caring for both children at the same time often becomes a nightmare for Sajida. While she feeds her infant, Umer often does not get adequate meals for a child his age, making do with whatever is served to the adult prisoners.
In March 2021, Sajida was sentenced to six years of imprisonment under sections 378 and 356 of Pakistan Penal Code, in theft and assault cases, when her younger child was just two months old. Since her imprisonment, neither her husband nor parents or any other family member has ever visited her at the Quetta District Jail.
In all, 40 women, including Sajida, are currently incarcerated at the internment facility. Along with these women, 13 children aged between two and eight years, are also residing without having committed any crime, as per Muhammad Ishaq Zahri, the jail superintendent. Among the 40 detainees, 16 are facing trial, while 24 are serving sentences in different cases. The oldest woman serving a sentence is aged 45, while the youngest is 19 years old.
Shagufta, 45, is often looked at as the mother of these women prisoners, who respect her greatly, for being kind and supportive to fellow inmates. “I have been in prison for the last six years now, serving my life imprisonment, for committing a murder,” Shagufta told. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court of Quetta in 2016, for murdering her husband. Her three children age 15, 17 and 20 now live with her parents, who once in every month come to visit her in District Jail. Being the oldest, she supports vulnerable women serving their sentence or in jail during trial.
“We are together in this, so we try to look after each other,” she said, adding that most women in the jail are from poor backgrounds, so they depend on whatever is provided within the jail.
According to the World Prison Brief report 2021, 38 out of every one hundred thousand people in Pakistan are in jails. The number of prisoners in prisons in the country is 85,670, including in pending and remand cases.
For Sajida and other inmates, menstrual hygiene is another unresolved issue. Women do not have access to sanitary products within prison. Jail authorities do not provide any sanitary napkins to the women citing unavailability of funds.
IG Prisons Balochistan said a letter was sent to the higher authorities on behalf of the Department of Jails Balochistan for the provision of education and essential items for underage prisoners, women and children, by requesting the release of appropriate funds. “Despite repeated letters, no funds till date have been allocated for the provision of sanitary products,” he said.
“Those who can afford to do so buy sanitary napkins, but others resort to using old cloth and rags,” Sajida added.
According to her, some women receive these sanitary napkins from their family members, who buy those from outside prison, who also distribute some among others to help them as much as they can, but it’s never enough. Sajida and many other inmates feel reluctant to ask for sanitary pads, whenever their fathers or brothers visit them, which reveals deep rooted societal taboos.
In 2000, the population of prisoners in Pakistan was 78,938, which reached 85,670 in 2022. The ratio of women imprisoned in jails across the country is 1.5 percent, while the juvenile ratio stands at 1.2 percent.
According to a recent quarterly report by the Federal Ombudsman, the highest number of female prisoners in the country is in Punjab – 920 - followed by 240 in Sindh, 196 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 43 in Balochistan. Of the 11 prisons in Balochistan, women prisoners are housed only in two prisons. Apart from Quetta and Gaddani, there is no proper arrangement to keep women prisoners in any jail in the province. Due to this state of affairs, most female prisoners from across the province are transferred to Quetta Jail.
Prison rules have been amended in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but there is still a lack of arrangements to ensure the safety of women and children. In contrast, Balochistan has not yet amended its prisons laws.
According to the Prisons (Amendment) Act, 2020 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a women's prison to be established in the province to provide better facilities to women prisoners. As per the amended Act, women prisoners are to be provided basic hygiene, menstrual products within jail. While food scale, availability of lady doctors, woman council will be ensured.
Due to the non-amendment of laws, many facilities are not available to women in prisons, in the current context. Shahida Batool, who works for the rights of women prisoners, says that the condition of women prisoners in the prisons of Balochistan is alarming. Shahida says, there is a severe lack of basic necessities for women in the jails of the province. A hall houses all female prisoners.
"Washrooms lack cleanliness, due to which diseases arise. Women often face dehydration. In summer, if the electricity goes out, it becomes difficult for women to breathe because of the limited space," she said.
She says the barrack does not have enough space in the hall, except for beds, to even walk around, when women are locked inside at night. Women with children are not even provided with extra beds. While, nursing and pregnant women prisoners in Balochistan do not have access to adequate nutrition.
“They are not given the required nutritional support that is needed during pregnancy nor is there any concept of prenatal healthcare,” she further said.
Batool said, Prisons for women do not even have lady doctors, so the female inmates are reluctant to seek help.
“The prisoner pregnant (PP) and prisoner lactating (PL) women need some extra foods in addition to those sanctioned for regular women prisoners. For PP, women the additional foods sanctioned are milk (467 g) and sugar (29 g), while for PL women the additional foods are milk (700 g), fresh fruits (233 g) and fresh vegetables (233 g).
According to the report of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Human Rights, Quetta, Inspector General Prisons confirmed that there has been no change in the scale of food given to prisoners in Balochistan since the British rule, however, they pointed out that it is insufficient budget that affects food supply.
As per the Prison manual, women prisoners get three meals a day, including breakfast, which includes 150 gram roti (bread) and tea. They get meat and chicken once a week for lunch or dinner.
IG Prisons Balochistan Shuja Kasi also admitted that there are posts of Lady Medical Officers in all 11 jails of Balochistan, but they are also vacant, because they refuse to accept postings.
“There are no facilities available for the lady doctors, for instance accommodation, risk allowance, hard area allowance, which is why no lady doctor accepts postings at these jails,” Kasi told.
IG Prisons further said, “we have sent several letters to the Home and Health Departments, to address such issues, so that we can appoint lady doctors in the prisons.
Amina Zaman, who works on the project of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan regarding jail reforms, says that there are cases of beatings against women in the prison reported in prisons of Punjab, but she did not observe any incident of sexual exploitation.
No incident of abuse or torture has been reported in the women barracks of prisons in Balochistan, as per the Inspector General of Prisons Balochistan.
In June 2016, it was revealed in the Senate Standing Committee that incidents of night-time abuse of women inmates in various prisons of the country took place, which cannot be possible without the connivance of the prison staff. It was suggested in the meeting that prisons for male and female prisoners should be constructed at a distance and female superintendents should be appointed in addition to the staff in the female prisons.
Inspector General of Prisons Balochistan Malik Shujauddin Kasi said that steps are being taken to train prison staff and also to provide education, skills and basic facilities to women, children and juvenile prisoners in the prisons of Balochistan.
Shujauddin Kasi said that reforms are being implemented to make the prisons of Balochistan an ideal example of a reformed society. "With the instructions and consultation of the Federal and Provincial Ombudsperson, facilities provided to the prisoners in the jails are gradually being improved and the old jail manual is being updated in a phased manner," IG Prisons Kasi said.
Farina Khattak works with an organization for the welfare of women in prisons in Quetta. While commenting on the situation of the women's ward of the District Jail Quetta, she said, "my concern regarding the women's ward is a lack of facilities for the children who are living with their mothers."
She said that there were 13 children with the female prisoners, one of whom was a one-year-old child. "It is an alarming situation that the children have various needs which are not available in the jail ward, we then took upon the responsibility to donate the necessities for the children which were not available there."
She said that these children have the right to get all the facilities stipulated under the law, including education. "Another big problem is that women prisoners do not have money to hire a lawyer for legal proceedings. Although most of the female prisoners are imprisoned for minor or petty crimes."
Farina Khattak stressed that women prisoners also need access to mental health care and psychologists, because most of the women in jails are suffering from severe psychological problems.
Superintendent District Jail Quetta Muhammad Ishaq Zahri said that teaching staff has been appointed by the Department of Jail and Social Welfare for the education and training of children in the jail along with women. However, there are temporary problems due to non-availability of books and teaching materials
"Due to non-allocation of budget for health and hygiene and monthly needs of women prisoners, they are facing difficulties in providing facilities," jail Superintendent Quetta said. He further said that all available resources are being utilized to provide facilities to the prisoners as per the jail manual. Make prisons an ideal example of a reformed society. "If non-governmental welfare organizations lend a helping hand to the government and maintain continuity of support for teaching services, the education and training of children accompanied by women can be continued without interruption," he said.
Ishaq Zehri said that special instructions have been given to the jail staff to treat women prisoners according to laws and ethics. Along with non-provision of facilities to women prisoners, claims are being made by the prison administration that the provisions of the basics will improve, but Sajida and dozens of other prisoners like her do not expect any significant improvement.
Sajida believes that she will have to endure the same situation during her prison term in the future, but for her, her child's suffering remains her biggest concern.
“Negligence in menstrual hygiene can result in biological disorders for example different sorts of infections but unfortunately awareness concerning this area of life is not highlighted due to socio-cultural trends of our society,” Dr. Afreen Anwar said, a senior physician said. She says in the present age, menstrual hygiene needs more attention because of rapidly increasing active participation of females in different walks of life. Dr. Afreen insists raising awareness among the prison staff and prisoners on issues of menstrual hygiene.