Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Syed Tahir Shahbaz, Federal Ombudsman has directed the provincial authorities of Balochistan to implement the prison reforms recommendations in letter and spirit. He said that District Oversight Committee (DOC) must visit jail once in a month and Provincial Oversight Committee must convene DOCs meeting in a month to review the implementation status of prison reforms recommendations. He also said that psychiatrists and doctors must visit jails once in a month.
He chaired a meeting on the progress of implementation of Jail Reforms Recommendations in Balochistan in his office at Islamabad. The provincial authorities of Home, Prison, Parole departments and Assistant Advocate General of Balochistan attended the meeting. Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokhar, Senior Adviser Law informed the meeting about the earlier decisions taken in this regard to improve the conditions of jails in Balochistan.
Earlier, the Federal Ombudsman had ordered all the provinces to constitute District Oversight Committees (DOC) in each district comprising the members from all walks of life to monitor the measures taken to implement order of the Apex Court. Under these reforms & recommendations, the provinces had been asked for the improvement conditions in jails especially for children, women and destitute/resource-less prisoners.
The rep. of Home department informed the meeting that provincial government has sanctioned Rs.250 million for the construction of central jail of Loralai from PSDP 2019-20. He said that PC-1 has already been finalized. He further informed that the provincial government has released Rs. 8.3 million for the release of 05 destitute prisoners who have completed their jail term and soon they would be released. He further informed 05 acre land has also been allocated for District Prison Qilla Abdullah at Chaman. He said CCTV cameras and other equipments are being installed in the prisons of Balochistan.
