LUMS and Punjab Prisons Sign MOU to Collaborate on Legal Awareness and Legal Aid

An MoU aimed at adequate delivery of criminal justice, raising legal awareness, and improving the well-being of prison inmates has been signed between LUMS and Punjab Prisons, Government of Punjab. Under this three-year agreement, students and faculty at the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School (SAHSOL) at LUMS will collaborate with Punjab Prisons to deliver paralegal training for inmates for a deep understanding of their legal rights. The trainings will be designed by the School’s faculty and students under the upcoming Legal Aid Clinics at SAHSOL, while Punjab Prisons will be establishing a referral process for such cases. The Law students will support inmates on their bail petitions.

The signing ceremony was opened by Dr. Sadaf Aziz, Dean, SAHSOL, while Professor Angbeen Atif Mirza and Dr. Qadeer Alam, AIG Prisons, shared details about the parameters of the collaboration. The signatories included Mian Farooq Nazir, IG Prisons, and Dr. Tariq Jadoon, Acting Vice Chancellor and Provost, LUMS. The occasion was graced by the Honourable Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh who represented the Lahore High Court, and Dr. Parvez Hassan, Member, Board of Trustees, LUMS and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan.     

While speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Jadoon remarked, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Punjab Prisons, a collaboration that reflects our unwavering commitment to education with tangible real-world outcomes. It is heartening to witness LUMS join hands with Punjab Prisons to offer valuable paralegal training to incarcerated individuals.”

Later, Dr. Alam elaborated on the partnership to yield evidence-based policy proposals for reformation of the criminal justice sector. The session was concluded by Mr. Mian Farooq Nazir, IG Prisons, who outlined ongoing efforts of Punjab Prisons to move towards a reformative justice system.