Suo motu jurisdiction should be exercised in public interest, not to benefit an individual: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that suo motu jurisdiction should be exercised in the public interest rather than to benefit an individual, Aaj News reported.

Talking to the media outside Lahore’s Central Jail, the premier said "suo motu notice can be taken by the Supreme Court on matters that it deems to be in the public interest.

The prime minister questioned how many times the court took suo motu notice of the issues pertaining to prisons and their inmates.

He was visiting the facility to enquire about the conditions of prisoners.

“How many suo motu [notices] were taken regarding issues such as justice with prisoners and their betterment,” he asked.

The premier said there were 4,000 prisoners in the Lahore Central Jail, 50,000 in Punjab, and hundreds of thousands all over the country.

“There are thousands of such prisoners who can be immediately released in accordance with the law. How much work have the courts done regarding this? These are the questions that the nation asks of me and all institutions.”

During the jail's visit, he ordered the Punjab authorities to immediately chalk out a plan to establish dedicated hospitals in jails for the medical treatment of the prisoners and provide quality sanitation services.

The prime minister directed the Punjab chief secretary to make a plan for a dedicated hospital in the jail within a week.

"If succeeded, the project would be expanded across the country," he added.

He said though the prisoners were jailed for any crime, the denial of medical and sanitation facilities to them was sheer injustice.

The prime minister, who interacted with the prisoners and distributed Eid gifts among them, said he had held a meeting with the Punjab chief secretary, IG Prisons, and jail superintendent to discuss the problem faced by the prisoners.

The prime minister expressed his concerns over the “pathetic” condition of toilets in almost all jails which he said needed to be improved as improper sanitation and toilet facilities would beget diseases.

He said that currently there were around 8,000 prisoners in two Lahore jails and it took almost months for sick prisoners to undergo required medical tests, deteriorating their health conditions.

He also called for the operationalization of the basic health equipment available in the jail and instructed that the treatment process should be made easy and transparent.

The prime minister also instructed providing vocational training to the prisoners to make them productive citizens and enable them to earn a livelihood after their release.

He stressed the need for measures to facilitate those languishing in jails just for lacking money even after completing their sentences. He urged the superior judiciary to take notice of the situation to address the miseries of the suffering prisoners.

He said by putting aside personal interests and through collective actions and wisdom, the country could overcome the pervading challenges.

The prisoners also shared their issues with the prime minister who instructed the relevant authorities to take up the cases with relevant ministries and institutions.