• WAFAQI MOHTASIB REVIEWS IMPLEMENTATION OF JAIL REFORMS.
• FREE LEGAL AID AND PAYMENT OF FINES FOR DESERVING CASES NEEDS ATTENTION.
• VIRTUAL MEETINGS OF PRISONERS WITH THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH ZOOM IS A COMMENDABLE STEP

Federal Ombudsman, Mr. Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, said that prison reforms process is continuing according to the Supreme Court directions .Under this program 14 Prisons of the Sindh Province have been provided with biometric system. Appreciating the online meeting of jail inmates with their relatives, Wafaqi Mohtasib said that the facility shall enable the relatives to meet the prisoners when not in a position to travel at time, through computers and mobile phones at home.  Wafaqi Mohtasib informed that up till now fifteen implementation reports on jail reforms have been submitted to Supreme Court of Pakistan and the 16^th Report will be presented soon.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib directed IG Prison Sindh that work on providing biometric system in all prisons in Sindh and construction work on Thatta jail be completed early. Referring to the medical facilities for the prisoners, the Wafaqi Mohtasib asked the Jail Authorities to ensure provision of doctors in all prisons. The Wafaqi Mohtasib said that keeping in view the recommendations of the Reforms Committee, steps should be taken to connect biometric system with NADRA Police, Prosecution and other relevant agencies.

The Wafaqi Mohtasib was chairing a high level meeting alongwith the Chief Secretary during his visit to Karachi which was attended by Home Secretary, IG Prisons and Head of Wafaqi Mohtasib Regional Office Karachi along with other senior officers. Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Fakhar-e-Alam Irfan informed that effective measures are being taken to resolve prisoner’s issues and he himself was supervising this process.

Earlier in a briefing Wafaqi Mohtasib was informed that with the cooperation of legal aid offices, NGOs and philanthropists the needy and destitute prisoners were being provided with free legal aid and financial assistance to settle their fines. The basic facilities of clean drinking water, wash rooms, sports places, education, health and waiting areas are also being ensured in the prisons, whereas the drug addicts, mentally deranged and those suffering from T.B, Hepatitis and other critical diseases are being kept in separate barracks and are duly attended by doctors. Women, juveniles and transgender prisoners are being kept in separate sections.

Arrangements of technical education have also been made in the prisons and free education system from class one to matric has been introduced in all prisons and arrangements are also in hand to conduct their exams in the premises of the respective jails. Furthermore books and reading material on religious and social themes is being provided in the libraries for character building.

The Ombudsman lauded these steps and hoped that these will lead to better environment for prisoners. He stated that the conditions of prisons located in the interior of Sindh also need to be reviewed to provide compatible facilities of legal aid, medical facilities, skill training and educational facilities as in the Karachi jails.