LAHORE – The Punjab government on Wednesday approved a special 30-day sentence remission for illiterate convicted prisoners who complete an officially recognised literacy programme and demonstrate basic reading, writing and numeracy skills.
The Punjab Home Department has issued a notification amending the Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978, to introduce the concession.
Under the revised rules, eligible prisoners will receive a certificate confirming their proficiency in basic literacy and numeracy after completing a programme approved by the Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Department.
Upon obtaining the certificate, they will qualify for a 30-day sentence remission granted by the prison superintendent.
The adult education initiative has been running in prisons across Punjab since May 2026 on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
So far, 19,578 prisoners have received education under the literacy programme, while 4,088 participants have been released. A total of 11,317 prisoners have passed literacy examinations.
Currently, 4,173 prisoners are enrolled at 182 literacy centres established across 43 prisons in the province. They include 3,986 men, 187 women and 105 juveniles, according to the figures provided by the Home Department.
The Punjab Home Department secretary said the Chief Minister’s Prisoners Literacy Programme was aimed at providing basic education to inmates who had not previously received formal schooling.
He said the department was committed to educating prisoners, supporting their rehabilitation and helping them reintegrate into society after their release.
Promoting education among inmates was also intended to build self-confidence, discipline and a positive outlook, the secretary added.
He said the initiative was transforming prisons into centres of rehabilitation, while education and training could help released prisoners avoid reoffending and rebuild their lives in society.