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Gilani for jail reforms
Salim Ahmed
Lahore—Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday spent a busy
day here as he held meetings with legislators, political leaders and
IGs Prisons province, social workers and officials of National
Reconstruction Bureau.
The premier with Ghulam Ahmed Manika, Jehangir Badr, Mian Manzoor
Ahmed Wattoo MNA, leader of the PML-Q forward block in Punjab
Assembly Syed Najaf Abbas, legislators and social workers and
discussed with them matters.
The premier visited mazar-e-Iqbal and shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj
Buksh.
Earlier, chairing a committee meeting held to prepare
recommendations on jail reforms, the premier said that the focus of
jail reforms should be on improving the condition of jail inmates
and jails should act a reformation centre instead of producing
criminals.
Justice Agha Rafique Ahmed Khan Secretary Law division, Imtiaz Qazi
Additional secretary ministry of interior, Muhammad Naeem ul Haq
member NRB,Mian Farooq IG prisons Punjab, Yamin Khan IG prisons
Sindh, Khalid Abbass additional IG prisons NWFP and Major ® Akbar
Lashari DIG prisons Baluchistan were also present.
The premier said the government attaches high priority to the jail
reforms and provision of facilities to the inmates and directed all
the concerned authorities to come up with proposals in this regard
at the earliest.
Describing his own experiences in castellation, he said that a lot
of things need to be kept in view while preparing reforms,
over-crowding is one of the main issues which need to be addressed
as it create problems like drug addiction, miserable food
conditions, availability of space and spreading of various diseases
like skin diseases, hepatitis and TB.
He directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to change the jail
manual according to the needs of 2008 to get rid of centuries old
system and ensure provision of basic facilities to the prisoners. He
stressed upon the need to impart vocational training to the
prisoners to make them responsible citizens.
The premier directed the committee to check the powers of
superintendents of jail through judiciary and study the reports of
‘Law Commission and Justice Zahid Nasir’ while making the reforms.
Expressing his serious reservations on the role of Mushaqati system
he directed the jail staff to provide telephone facility to the
prisoners to check corruption. He said that under trial prisoners
are 80 percent and stressed the need to speed up their trial to
control the overcrowding in jails.
He also stresses the need to provide best food and health facilities
at the prisons specially for the women, including availability of
gynaecologists.
He directed the jail authorities to install water filtration plants
for the provision of clean drinking water to the prisoners.
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