Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that he was committed to introducing effective and efficient jail reforms.

“Whatever my government has done so far is not enough and much more is needed to turn jails into correction houses,” he said while presiding over a meeting regarding jail reforms in the light of Supreme Court instructions and the findings of Federal Ombudsman at the Chief Minister’s House on Friday.

The meeting was attended by representative of Federal Ombudsman Shakeel Durani, Principal Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Home Secretary Jamal Shah, IG Jail Nusrat Mangan and others.

The chief minister said that there were 25 jails in the province with a capacity of about 12,000 inmates but more than 21,000 have been imprisoned there. “This overcrowding is root cause of several other problems. The objective to turn the jails into correction houses could not be achieved with the present living conditions for which effective measures are need of hour,” he observed.

He said he had been paying surprise visits to Central Jail Karachi and some other jails. “I have tested food of Karachi Central jail, its very tasty and quality of food is considerably better.” He however, said he was not satisfied with the facilities being provided to the inmates.

Shakeed Durani, who represented Federal Ombudsman, said that reforms were required in the jail manual, segregation of under trial and convicted prisoners, improvement in educational, recreational activities by introducing professional, technical education/courses and arrangement for an endowment fund meant for the welfare of prisoners.

Qaim said that there was a need of an inspection team which could conduct inspection whenever they want. “In the nights what happens in the jails is not known. I am of the view, apart from inspection, there should be an electronic vigilance of the inmates and of the jail officials,” he suggested.

Jail IG Nusrat Mangan said that there were separate jails for children, women and others. “In Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana there are separate jails for children, women and adults.”

Home Secretary Syed Jamal Shah said that the idea of the chief minister to turn jails in correction houses need collective wisdom to envisage a comprehensive plan for welfare, character building and improve abnormal tendencies of the inmates.

He said collective efforts are needed to devise a workable plan by all the stakeholders including provincial authorities, Federal Ombudsman, philanthropists and civil society members.

The chief minister said that most of the poor inmates, particularly women, children and foreigners used to have no money to pay their sureties and penalties. “The endowment fund to be funded by federal government, philanthropists and provincial government would be utilised to pay the penalties or sureties,” he added.

Appreciating the guidelines of the Supreme Court for jail reforms, he assured that he would not only support the reforms but would personally give his input. “I am keen to make the criminals languishing their lives in the jails as useful citizens,” he said, adding he himself has been imprisoned for years, therefore he knows the problems inmates come across.