Hyderabad central prison: SHC calls for progress on improving security arrangements

Court had taken notice on July 13 after an inmate was killed and 15 people were injured.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the authorities concerned to submit their reports on the progress made so far on the project of installing cellular service jammers and close-circuit TV cameras to prevent criminal activities in the Hyderabad central prison.

The proceedings were initiated on order of the SHC Chief Justice, who had taken notice of violence at the prison on July 13.

An under-trial prisoner, Sajid Khaskheli, was killed and 12 personnel of the jail police along with three prisoners were injured as the inmates took control of the prison compound.

The prisoners and prison authorities blamed each other for the violence. The judges had directed the authorities concerned to take measures to curb criminal activities inside prison and improve living conditions as well.

Ashfaq Hussain Shah, the project director, submitted in court PC-1 of the project for installation of jammers and close-circuit television cameras and repairing certain portions of prison.

He said the Sindh chief minister had sanctioned Rs150 million for improving security arrangements at the prison, out of which Rs88 million would be used for installation of jammers and remaining amount to construct a boundary wall around the jail.

Pir Bashir Jan Sarhandi, the superintendent of Hyderabad central prison, complained that a portion of the jail was illegally being used for parking by some people.

Earlier, the court had ordered to shift the bus stand from the prison to outside the city limits. No progress, however, has been made, he noted.



The bench directed project director and XEN Buildings, Hyderabad, to keep filing updates and progress on the work.

Adjourning the hearing till December 18, the judges also directed the office to fix this matter with a constitution petition, which was already filed on the question of the bus stand’s shifting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2012.