Under trial prisoners: Cases delayed due to inmate transfers

Recent shifting of several under-trial prisoners is slowly leading to a backlog for ATC.

KARACHI: Several cases scheduled for hearing by the Anti-Terrorism Court-I at the Central Jail could not be heard on Monday since at least one individual in each of the cases was transferred from Karachi to jails elsewhere. The hearings were postponed to later dates. The recent shifting of several under-trial prisoners is slowly leading to a backlog for the Anti-Terrorism Courts, which are hearing numerous cases inside jail. The prisoners were reportedly shifted for security reasons, after jail authorities received reports of a planned jailbreak. The jail authorities have not provided the courts a timeframe for when prisoners will be transferred back to Karachi. The jail superintendent was issued a show-cause notice by the Anti-Terrorism Court and asked to appear in court on September 1. The superintendent has reportedly provided a report on the issue to the court. The Anti-Terrorism Court-III is also hearing a number of cases inside jail, including that of noted Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activist Mohammad Ajmal aka Akram Lahori.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2012.