Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah asserted that the District over-sighting committees are functioning for implementation and monitoring the jails in the province. He further stated that the committees comprising retired officers of judiciary, civil service and police, philanthropists, and eminent from the civil society, regularly visit the jails to monitor the management of Jails and resolve the day to day issues, thereof.
The Chief Secretary Sindh and Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz on Tuesday jointly presided a meeting to review implementation process on Prison reforms in accordance with the Supreme Court’s orders based recommendations of Federal Ombudsman office.
The Advisor to Ombudsman Aijaz Qureshi, Federal Secretary to Ombudsman Abdul Malik Ghori, Secretary Home Abdul Kabir Qazi, IG Prisons Nusrat Mangan and others were also present.
Mumtaz Ali Shah further stated that the provincial government has decided to establish more prisons in the province and expansion work of Malir and other prisons was also underway. Chief Secretary Sindh further noted that the prisoners are being provided with the hygienic food and potable water as well as sufficient medical facilities and legal aid including money for fine of their release. He pointed out the prisoners including women and juvenile are also securing education and vocational training. “There will be psychological counseling of the prisoners through special visits of psychologists in every prison of the province, ” he noted.
The Chief Secretary further stated that automation in 22 prisons of the province will be completed in mid of the November. “There will be an integrated networking system of monitoring and verification of record between Jail police, Sindh police, Judiciary and NADRA” he further added. The Government of Sindh is constructing three new district prisons in Shaheed Benazirabad, Thatta and Malir Karachi.
The Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz appreciating the implementation on jail reforms in Sindh. He further stated that the quarterly reports are submitted for Supreme Court Bench with the specific reference on “Jail Reforms”. He stressed the need to arrange the regular monitoring system by the political leadership and high level officers from civil service and judiciary. The Federal Ombudsman also emphasized upon monthly meetings and visits to the prisons, in addition to link-up the jail records with NADRA.
Earlier the Secretary Home and IG Prison briefed the progress, to this effect informing that the HIV screening of the female and juvenile prisoners in all prisons of the province have been completed.—INP
