Murad hints at releasing prisoners facing minor criminal charges
Murad hints at releasing prisoners facing minor criminal charges
Zafar Ahmed Khan
LatestPakistan

Karachi: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has assigned an exercise to the home department to work out details of the total prisoner so that they could be given relief keeping in view severity of their crime, health and financial conditions. 

Karachi: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has assigned an exercise to the home department to work out details of the total prisoner so that they could be given relief keeping in view severity of their crime, health and financial conditions.

He took this decision on Thursday while presiding over a meeting of Home department here at Cm House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Adl Chief Secretary Home Usman Chachar, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro and IG Prison Nusrat Mangan.

The chief minister said that the list available with him showed that there were 16000 prisoners in t all the jails of the province. “I want you to prepare listsalof the prisoners and divide them in different categories,” he said and added there should be category of under trial and convicted prisoners.

In the under-trail prisoners’ list there should be a category of prisoners facing heinous criminal and minor crime charges. A separate list of elderly and sick prisoners may also be made so that their cases could be considered accordingly.

He also asked the home department to furnish a separate list of the prisoners who have completed their punishments or jail term but have no money to pay the fine/penalty imposed on them. The list of the prisoners who have been granted bail but have no money or property to file surety amount. “The provincial government would pay their fine and make arrangement for their surety,” he said.

He has also asked the home department to prepare separate lists of the women prisoners, children, foreigners so that they may also be given some relief keeping in view the severity of their crime.

Murad Ali Shah said that our jails were most crowded, therefore he was trying to release those prisoners who could be given relief within the ambit of the law.