Federal Minister for Human Rights, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, chaired the 11th meeting of the Administrative Committee for the Diyat, Arsh and Daman Fund at the Ministry of Human Rights today. Federal Secretary for Human Rights, Abdul Khalique Sheikh, was also present at the meeting.
The Committee reviewed cases forwarded by Provincial Sub-Committees concerning prisoners remaining incarcerated due to non-payment of Diyat, Arsh, and Daman amounts.
Recommendations were considered in accordance with the Diyat, Arsh and Daman Fund Rules, 2007, and relief was approved for eligible cases after detailed scrutiny.
The Diyat, Arsh and Daman Fund was established by the Federal Government under Section 338G(2) of the Pakistan Penal Code to provide financial assistance to deserving convicts unable to pay compensation amounts to the legal heirs of victims. The Fund particularly facilitates prisoners suffering from physical or mental illness, women with children, orphans, juvenile prisoners, and prisoners above forty years of age who have served a substantial portion of their sentence but remain imprisoned due to non-payment of Diyat, Arsh, or Daman.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Interior, and Provincial Home Departments, who reviewed provincial cases and discussed matters relating to effective management, transparency, and disbursement of the Fund.
During the meeting, Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar directed the concerned provincial authorities and relevant departments to ensure maximum facilitation for deserving prisoners whose continued incarceration is solely due to non-payment of compensation amounts. He observed that many such prisoners have already served substantial portions of their sentences and are awaiting financial assistance for their release.
The Minister emphasized the need for expeditious processing of cases, transparent implementation of the Fund, and continued coordination with provincial governments to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation of eligible prisoners in accordance with law and humanitarian considerations.
