NGOs in prison: SHC adjourns hearing

NGOs providing legal assistance to prisoners under trial was adjourned indefinitely by a division bench of the SHC.

KARACHI:

The hearing of a constitutional petition arising out of suo motu proceedings about non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing legal assistance to prisoners under trial (UTPs) was adjourned indefinitely by a division bench of the High Court of Sindh (SHC) comprising Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar here on Friday.

The bench had on July 20 restrained the NGO 'Legal Aid Committee' from operating inside the premises of Central Prison, Karachi, the City Courts complex and Malir district court premises. Earlier, an official of the Sindh home department disclosed to the court that the NGOs are working under a notification issued by the home department and their scope of activities was widened a year back. This revelation led to the filing of an application for an urgent hearing and orders of restraint a few days back. The SHC bench, while restraing the NGOs from operating inside court complexes, also restrained them from any activity inside the prison. The decision came after a week-long strike by members of the Karachi Bar Association as well as the Malir District Bar Association which turned violent on the fifth day (previous Friday). And anticipating a worsening situation of law and order at the courts complexes, the SHC intervened to settle the matter

On Friday, the bench, after a brief hearing, adjourned the proceedings to a date to be fixed by the office of the court. The matter will be heard now after the summer vacations of the SHC.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2011.