A tally of prisoners infected in the country’s jails collected by a non-profit organization, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) has reported that more than 140 inmates in different jails are currently infected with coronavirus.
The majority of the inmates who have contracted the virus are in Lahore, 59, followed by Karachi, 40.
The JPP also warned that after 40 prisoners tested positive for the deadly virus in Karachi, the city’s central jail could soon become the “new flash point” for the disease.
“Urgent mitigating steps need to be taken to prevent its further spread in the facility which is already grossly overcrowded,” the organisation tweeted. The Karachi Central Prison houses 3,527 inmates, while it only has the capacity of 2,400.
The number of sickened prisoners are highest in Punjab, 100. Separately, one case has been reported from Quetta in Balochistan.
