One female prisoner in Karachi faces capital punishment for the crime of killing her parents with the help of a ‘lover’. Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, who is also responsible for jails, said that the fate of the prisoner, Asma Nawab, will depend on a presidential pardon. “The government, with the consultation of her relatives, will send her mercy petition to the president of Pakistan,” he said. Nawab is one of the 79 women imprisoned in Sindh.
Soomro claimed that there are no political prisoners in any jail in the province. He also told the assembly that there have been no executions during the current government’s tenure. While Nawab requires a presidential pardon, 18 foreigners are still in jail despite completing their sentences because their travel documents are not ready.
During the question hour, Soomro said that the government has written to the embassies of the foreign inmates through the interior ministry to expedite the process of completing the required travelling documents so that they can be released and transferred to their home countries.
The 18 foreigners are from Africa, Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, South Africa and Bangladesh. Fifteen of these were given three-month sentences for offences committed and are at Central Jail in Karachi. Hyderabad’s Central Jail houses three prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment.
“They have completed their prison terms. The travel documentation took too much time therefore they have been detained till their papers are completed,” Soomro said.
When asked if detaining people after the completion of sentences was illegal or constituted contempt of court, Soomro said the courts have been informed on the issue.
The Sindh government also plans to replace the Frontier Constabulary deputed at the jails with the police. The jail department has asked for Rs72.59 million to recruit police to secure prisons.
Nawaz Sharif should apologise
PPP lawmakers asked PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to apologise for registering ‘fake cases’ during his tenure against the late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her widower, President Asif Ali Zardari.
Party stalwart and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah paid tribute to Bhutto, while Home Minister Manzoor Wassan narrated an anecdote of Bhutto visiting PPP leaders in jail under the cover of a burqa.
Gas shortage
MQM MPA Heer Ismail Soho raised the issue of gas shortage in Sindh on a point of order. Soho said there has been a severe shortage of natural gas in Sindh even though the province is the largest producer of gas. “This assembly has already passed a resolution to give priority to Sindh in terms of gas consumption, but nothing has happened so far,” she said.
Legislation
The assembly passed the ‘Sindh Motion Pictures Bill, 2011’ for the censorship of films and the regulation of exhibition of films. Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo briefed the assembly. Since the subject of ‘motion pictures’ has been devolved to provinces, the government will constitute a board to examine and certify films for public. The law will disallow public or private exhibitions of films that have not been certified by the board for public exhibition, and non-compliance will result in a three-year imprisonment and a penalty of Rs100,000.
The ‘Establishment of the office of ombudsman for the province of Sindh (Amendment) Bill 2011’ was also introduced. The law minister moved a motion to defer the ‘Sindh Sales Tax on Service (Amendment) bill, 2011’ to Friday. The session was adjourned until Tuesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.
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