MUZAFFARABAD Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Saturday directed the Jail authorities to release all the under trail prisoners on personal surety bond who had been detained for the crimes having punishment of less than 10 years excluding crime of terrorism and against state, while screening be conducted of the prisoners in jail and anyone having symptoms of coronavirus be shifted to quarantine. A larger bench of the High Court headed by acting Chief Justice Azhar Saleem Babar and comprising on Justice Chaudhary Muhammad Munir and Justice Raza Ali Khan passed this order on a petition filed by President Central Bar Association Nasir Masood Mughal Advocate. The apex court in its order said that under trail prisoners detained in crimes having a punishment of imprisonment of more than 10 years be released for two months on personal surety bond, while prisoners detained in the crimes having imprisonment of less than 10 years be released on bail. Moreover, the jail authorities can release any other prisoner on parole. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Minister for Information and Tourism Raja Mushtaq Minhas Saturday said the government was taking corrective measures to control the spread of Coronavirus and there was no need to panic from coronavirus cases in AJK because the situation was completely under control. Talking to PTV news channel , he said that the government was watching the changing situation closely and that the only two positive cases in AJK reported and they were being provided the best medical care. He said all necessary measures were already taken for the safety of citizens from corona battle and menace of the corona would be eliminated soon with the joint efforts of the government and public.—APP
