LARKANA:Provincial Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Aijaz Jakhrani has said that dangerous prisoners have been kept at Central Jails of Larkana, Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur for which security has been tightened and cell phone signal jammer system has been installed.
He was talking to newsmen after visiting Central Prison Tuesday. He said Sindh Assembly has passed Prisoners Bill 2019 under which all prisoners will be provided better facilities and jails will not be treated as torture cells anymore but these will be reformed houses. He claimed that better treatment and food facilities are being provided to inmates in Central Prison, Larkana, as, according to him, X-Ray machine and medicines are available in the jail.
He disclosed that during recent blood screening of the inmates as many as 200 prisoners were found suffering from Hepatitis B and C and three were detected as carrying HIV, after which they have been shifted to special isolation ward.
Jakhrani said that there is not much space for more prisoners to keep as 1013 inmates are in the Central Prison here at the moment. He said that during winter season prisoners will be provided hot water facilities and during summer air coolers will be provided to the inmates.
He claimed that corruption has been eliminated from prisons across Sindh and special cells have been winded up where torture was made on inmates adding jail superintendents will be taken to task if complaints are received.
Jakhrani said that we have improved prisons in Sindh than other provinces. He said recently 35 prisoners were released from Landhi jail who were there because they were unable to pay fine amount and Sindh Government paid the money. He said instructions have also been issued to other prison heads to prepare lists of those inmates who are inside the jails for non-payment of fines.
He said the biggest issue in the jails is electricity load shedding due to which prisoners suffer for which federal government has been approached to stop it. He said soon monthly salaries of jail staff will be increased and doctors will be appointed. Jail Superintendent Mumtaz Awan and PPP activists accompanied the adviser during his visit.