Conjugal rights: Sindh govt fails to implement apex court's order after seven years

Prisons minister claims to be unaware of plan to establish meeting rooms for prisoners and spouses

KARACHI: The Sindh government's decision to grant conjugal rights to convicted inmates, under which they would be allowed to meet their spouses at the prison, has been in limbo for the last seven years.

The government, while complying with the Supreme Court's order, had issued a notification in April, 2010, to grant the right to convicted inmates to meet their spouses for one day or night every three months but nothing has been done.



After the notification had been issued, the then prisons minister had announced that the government had started the construction of separate meeting rooms inside the jails and that all married prisoners would be asked to submit their marriage certificates. However, despite the passage of seven years, this process has yet to be completed.

Official sources in the home department said the government had allocated Rs140 million in the 2013-14 budget to initially establish the meeting rooms in seven jails, including Karachi, Sukkur, Larkana and Khairpur central jails, but there has been no progress in the matter.

"The funds were available and this system was supposed to be started this year, but officials of the jail department failed to complete this scheme. We have now learnt that the government has given a new deadline of 2020 to finish this scheme," said an official, requesting anonymity.



Human rights activists Paryal Marri termed the concept of conjugal visits as an excellent idea, but believed it is difficult for one to visit the jail and meet an under-trial prisoner. "Right now, you cannot meet a person in jail without greasing the palms of jail officials. I don't see how this will be a successful idea in our society. The government should first bring reforms in the jail system and get rid of corruption and then start work on such schemes," he said.

The prison department's data revealed that there are 24 jails, including three female prisons, in Sindh where around 20,000 inmates are languishing. The number of convicted inmates stands at 4,000, out of whom 16 are women. The data further revealed that more than 6,000 prisoners are housed in the Central Jail, Karachi and 939 of them are convicted. Similarly, 1,100 convicted inmates are in the Hyderabad jail, 608 in Sukkur, 262 in Larkana, 164 in Khairpur and 72 in Malir.



"These were the jails where the government had to initially start this facility, but nothing has been done so far," said an official.

He added that 172 foreigners, who have been convicted in various cases, are also living in Sindh's jails. These foreigners are from India, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The newly-appointed prison minister, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar claimed to have 'no idea' about the scheme as he has recently joined the department. However, he said that the government will comply with the apex court's order. "We are bringing reforms in the jails [of the province] and have improved food, health and education systems inside various prisons," he said.



Meanwhile, talking to The Express Tribune, Sindh Prisons IG Nusrat Mangan said that the work in seven jails is under way and meeting rooms are being built. "There were some technical issues due to which this scheme has been delayed, but now we have accelerated the development," Mangan said.

Commenting on whether terrorists living in the jails would be allowed this facility, Mangan said, "Initially we have been asked to allow only convicts involved in petty crimes, but there is no final policy on it, which can be drafted later by the government".