Sindh Launches Education Program for Over 4,600 Children of Convicted Prisoners

The Sindh government has launched Pakistan’s first education program for the children of 4,684 convicted prisoners, Dawn reported. The initiative, introduced at the Karachi central prison, is a collaboration between the education and prisons departments and Paigham-e-Pakistan.

Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah stated that the program aims to support children’s education from primary to university level, emphasizing that children should not be punished for their parents’ actions. He noted that Sindh is the first province to implement such a program, with plans to enroll over 10,000 children.

In the first phase, 100 admission letters have already been issued, with data collected for 2,638 more children. Prisons Minister Hasan Ali Zardari remarked on the need to transform prisons into reform centers, benefiting both inmates’ children and juvenile inmates.

The program also includes microfinancing and monthly financial assistance for families to help prevent economic exploitation. Currently, Sindh’s prisons house 24,000 inmates, including 4,102 convicted prisoners.