After facing death row, the inmate who turned investigator

Sohail Yafat was in his 20s and working in an IT college in Lahore when he was wrongfully incarcerated for murder and facing death row. Behind bars he continued to fight for justice, while also quietly revolutionising his prison when he organised its first ever Christmas party. After a decade in jail, Sohail was released. He joined the legal charity Justice Project Pakistan as a private investigator. Through their work, the number of executions has dropped in Pakistan. Sohail is now working on building a reintegration centre to support recently released prisoners.

Emily Webb caught up with Sohail to name him one of the winners of BBC Inspirations 2020. For full details of the awards and Covid-19 related changes, please check the revised terms on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/inspirations.

Producers: Maryam Maruf, Troy Holmes Editor: Munazza Khan

With thanks to Ghazanfar Hyder for this voiceover performance in the interview with Sohail first broadcast on 16 December, 2018

Picture: Sohail Yafat Credit: Ali Haider, JPP