Sindh Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Prisons Muhammad Ayaz Soomro has said that a comprehensive plan aimed to convert the prisons into reforming houses has been prepared at an estimated cost of Rs one billion and the amount has been released to his department for its implementation.
The minister informed this at a briefing at the office of Inspector General (I.G.) Prisons Sindh at Central Jail Hyderabad on Saturday. The minister said that under this plan, reopening of all closed factories in jails, establishment of B-Class barracks in each prison, repair of existing old barracks, establishment of an institution for skill development of the prisoners in different trades, enabling the prisoners to earn livelihood after their release, setting up of computer canters for youngsters, provision of healthy food, medical facilities, video conferencing, CCTV, PCOs in each jail and providing free legal aid along with Rs 10,000/- as financial assistance to each unattended prisoner will be carried out.
He said that under the plan if a poor prisoner failed to afford the penalty, the Law Department will pay the same on his behalf and get him released. The minister said that through another development scheme, Sindh government has planned to establish new prisons at Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Thatta and Qamber-Shahdadkot to reduce density in the over- crowded jails.
He said that the Jail Police has also been upgraded at par with Sindh Police and subsequently their salaries have been increased. Besides, new recruitment will also be made in transparent manner in which the post of Medical Officer will be procured by Jail Department to provide full medical facilities to the prisoners, he said.
Responding to a question about the shortage of judges at the Sindh High Court, the minister said that Sindh government has recommended the names of 27 top ranking lawyers to the authorities concerned for their consideration on the post. Responding to another question, the minister said that about 400 fishermen belonging to Sindh are under detention in India. He said that he himself has approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for getting these detained fishermen released from India and hopefully the government will get good result shortly.
He informed that 430 fishermen of India have been released from the prisons of Sindh as a goodwill gesture and same reciprocal step is expected from India. To another question, he maintained that there was not a single political prisoner in the jails of Sindh. "We are political people and deal with the matter politically and democratically," he said.
When asked about the suspension of local bodies system, the minister said that local bodies system was not suspended; it is alive as the system of 1979 was unanimously passed by the Provincial Assembly. However, after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, each province has been empowered to introduce it as per its choice, he said.
"We have moved a new formula of local government system with slight changes to our coalition partners and intend to enforce it with mutual understanding," he added. The minister on the occasion expressed his deep sorrow over the demise of Chairman Jeay Sindh Qaumi Muhaz (JSQM) Bashir Khan Qureshi.
Later, Sindh Minister for Prisons, accompanied by Inspector General Jail Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Additional Advocate General A.B. Soomro and other law officers visited Nara Jail, Juvenile Jail and Women Jail and enquired about the problems of the prisons.
The minister also presided over a meeting with the law officer at the office of IG Jails, Central Jail, Hyderabad. He directed the law officers to provide legal aid especially to the unattended prisoners. He also directed them to attend the concerned courts with full preparation and justify the government's point of view. He also directed the Jail officers and Sindh Police to ensure proper production of the prisoners on their hearing in the court of law.
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