A dire situation: SHC inquires about preventive steps in jails

Roy's lawyer argued that full screenings of prisoners should be done

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) sought on Friday a report on the measures being taken to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus in jails across the province.

A two-member bench, comprising Justices Omar Sial and Abdul Mubeen Lakho, heard the plea filed by Zindagi Trust president and singer Shehzad Roy.

Roy’s lawyer pointed out that even the Sindh chief minister had taken notice of the dire situation in the prisons, while the SHC chief justice had already ordered the release of 829 prisoners involved in minor offences.

He said that the number of prisoners in Sindh’s jails was so high that if the contagious virus reached them, the consequences would be catastrophic. He argued that full screenings of the prisoners should be done.

Questioning what measures had been taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the prisons, the court sought a report from the Sindh government and the Prisons IG at the next hearing, which will take place on April 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2020.