[This story is supported by CFLI]
November 25, 2025
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Women behind bars face a range of challenges, from being falsely implicated in serious crime cases, to struggling with limited access to legal aid and lawyers.
Across Punjab’s jails, there are 1,310 female prisoners, of whom 1,010 are under trial, 291 are convicted, while nine are unconfirmed condemned prisoners. These women form a small but deeply vulnerable segment of the total 70,072 incarcerated population spread across 45 functional prisons in the province. Most of these facilities operate far beyond their intended capacity, resulting in severe overcrowding, one of the major reasons prisons remain dysfunctional. Overpopulation strains sanitary facilities, delays medical care, reduces access to legal assistance, and creates unsafe living conditions, particularly for women who already face systemic neglect.
Voicepk spoke to senior lawyer Hifza Aziz, who has been working with the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell (AGHS) for the past three decades. Throughout her career, Aziz has visited prisons across Punjab, offering legal support to inmates on behalf of AGHS, a lifeline for countless poor and helpless women navigating the justice system.
Aziz told Voicepk that “women behind bars face multiple issues, from fake cases to a complete lack of legal access,” explaining that these systemic barriers often leave women unaware of their own case proceedings unless organizations like AGHS intervene.
‘Everything was new to us’: Learning under Asma Jahangir
“My first jail visit was with Asma Jahangir,” recalls Aziz. “We used to accompany her to observe how she heard out the cases and interacted with clients. At that time, everything was new to us, but under her training, we got to learn how to deal with the cases.”
With time, Aziz began taking cases independently. One of her experiences involved an abduction case.
“I had nothing to do with it,” she says. “But the kidnappers still took my name, just because they knew of me.”
Three decades of visiting Punjab’s prisons
Even a lawyer can face the emotional toll of prison visits and 32 years is a long time.
“Even now, whenever I make a jail visit, I feel very sad,” she says. Her visits have been across the board. “I have visited every jail in Punjab, and I still visit them with my team.”
Aziz says AGHS takes up a multitude of cases of all kinds. The legal aid organization does not only help women without lawyers or those whose families cannot support their cases, but also women pursuing heirship appeals.
“Many women have lawyers, but they still don’t know how their own cases are proceeding,” she explains. “The lawyers can’t visit the prisons regularly. So when we go, the women ask us to explain their case progress. We provide consultations to them as well.”
Mothers, minors, and missing access to justice
Hifza Aziz recalls a woman convicted of murder but whose biggest fear was losing contact with her children.
“She had multiple issues. She wanted to meet her children but didn’t know how to do so legally. We guided her, helped her understand her rights, and advised her according to her case.”
Prison conditions, she says, are better than they were decades ago, though still far from ideal. “It’s not as good as it should be, but it is now better than it was 25 to 28 years ago,” Aziz admits. “Living conditions are better, and food quality has improved. But the appeal system inside jails must be strengthened. A lawyer should be available there to draft appeals and send them to courts.”
She stresses that rehabilitation must be part of the system. “If there are children with women prisoners, they go to schools in prisons. Women currently are taught stitching, grooming, and other skills so they can live with dignity once released.”
Aziz highlights the growing importance of digital spaces. “We have a digital news media platform called Voicepk.net where women come and discuss their legal and social issues. It’s playing an important role and will continue to do so.”
1,800 cases a year — AGHS a last resort
Each year, AGHS handles an extensive range of cases.
“Every year, AGHS files around 1,500 to 1,800 cases,” Aziz says. “These include family law matters, cases involving women, children, and minorities, as well as jail appeals and a large number of bail applications. Through the courts, we secure bail relief for many prisoners.”
‘Most cases are about property’
She shares a recent case from a Punjab jail. “There was a doctor who said her issue was related to property. Instead of transferring the property to her, a fake case was filed and she was convicted. After our research, her appeals were fixed. She had four convictions; all her appeals have now been decided, and she will be released.”
Such cases, she says, are part of a wider pattern. “In my 30 years, I have heard this repeatedly, the issue is usually property,” she explains. “Often it is the husband’s property. The families tell the woman to leave her share, and if she refuses, they nominate her in a murder case. Many women say they were accused only so they could be deprived of their rightful inheritance.”
‘For poor women, this is the only path to relief’
Despite the overwhelming injustices she has witnessed, Aziz remains committed to her work. “We want to bring relief to the people whose cases we hear,” she says. “The AGHS legal team is extremely competent, they handle appeals, bails, and even Supreme Court matters. For poor women, this is often the only path to justice.”