RAWALPINDI , Dec 01 (APP): PMAS-AAUR and the PP&PS Home Department, Government of Punjab, have signed an MoU to conduct research on offender risk assessment, classification systems, and rehabilitation initiatives for individuals to be released or placed on probation in Punjab.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PMAS-AAUR), Rawalpindi, and the Punjab Probation & Parole Service (PP&PS), Home Department, marks an important partnership focused on advancing education, research, and training in probation, parole, and correctional services, in alignment with Punjab’s laws and policies.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem, Vice Chancellor of PMAS-AAUR, and Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, Director General of PP&PS, officially signed the agreement, representing their respective institutions.
The ceremony was attended by key academic figures, including Dr. Abdul Saboor, Dean of the Department of Social Sciences, Registrar Aqeel Sultan Dr. Nazia Dr. Irfan Mahmood Janjua, and other university officials, highlighting the academic sector’s active role in advancing the objectives of this partnership. This collaboration supports PP&PS’s commitment to non-institutional rehabilitation approaches, conforming with Punjab’s legal frameworks that emphasize community-based corrections and the reintegration of offenders into society.
Aligned with the recent efforts of the Punjab Probation & Parole Service, including the establishment of the Research and Development Wing led by DG Muhammad Shahid Iqbal, the MoU focuses on critical areas such as scholar exchange, faculty research, and student internship programs. It also promotes joint seminars, workshops, and training sessions that comply with the latest guidelines and legal requirements of the Punjab criminal justice system.
This partnership will facilitate the sharing of research and best practices in areas such as risk assessment, psycho-social rehabilitation, and offender reformation, directly supporting the goals outlined in the Punjab Probation of Offenders Ordinance 1960, the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners Probational Release Act 1926, and related laws.
The involvement of academic experts like Prof. Dr. Mazhar Hussain Bhutta, Chairman Department of Sociology at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, underscores the importance of integrating evidence-based practices into probation and parole services to drive innovation and improve outcomes.
Dr. Mazhar Hussain Bhutta said that through this MoU, both institutions aim to create a robust framework for ongoing collaboration, ensuring that academic insights are effectively translated into practical applications within Punjab’s criminal justice system.
He said this initiative reflects a shared commitment to fostering continuous professional development, enhancing offender rehabilitation, and addressing key societal challenges through research and education, in compliance with provincial legal standards.
Dr Bhutta also appreciated the dynamic leadership of DG Shahid Iqbal for developing meaningful academic research with relevant academic/professional experts of the probation field aimed at enhancing the linkage of academia and relevant departments.
Dr Bhutta was also nominated as a member of the Punjab probation steering committee constituted for developing the research and planning wing in PP&PS, informed DG on this occasion.
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