Work in progress: Govt procures land to establish high-security prison in Jamshoro

Karachi Central Jail to move to Super Highway, says prisons minister.

KARACHI:

Given the latest attempt to bypass jail security, Sindh chief secretary Sajjad Hotiana has asked the relevant officers to speed up the work on the High Security Prison Project, for which Rs1.49 billion have been allocated.

Home Secretary Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi told the participants of a meeting on Tuesday that land has been acquired for this project in Jamshoro. Hotiana advised the officials to start work during the current fiscal year so that it is completed on time.



Under this project, high-security prisons will be established in Karachi, Larkana, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Khairpur, in addition to the Jamshoro High Security Prison. It was also decided that the katchi abadis and encroachments around prisons will be scrutinised to avoid security breaches in the future.

Move to Super Highway

The city’s central jail will be moved to Super Highway, announced prisons minister Manzoor Wassan on Tuesday.

He was talking to the media after a meeting with the law enforcement agencies, which had averted an attempt to break into the jail a few days ago. “We will move a summary to the chief minister to move the jail soon,” he announced, adding that the prison is now surrounded by residential areas which is not safe. In the present circumstances, it is very difficult for the government to secure the prison, he added.

“Until the prison is relocated, the government will remove encroachments around the prison,” he said. “We are considering demolishing multi-storey buildings located in front of the jail, especially in Ghausia Colony, which were built against the law.”

Wassan told The Express Tribune that a proposal has already been made to convert the existing premises into a judicial complex. “All city courts will be shifted to central jail, which will provide a safe environment to the judges, lawyers and litigants who also face threat.”

Apart from Karachi prison, the facilities in Hyderabad and Sukkur have also faced threats, said Wassan.

Committee to probe into tunnel case

Meanwhile, the prisons minister has constituted an inquiry committee, after the chief minister’s approval, to probe into the tunnel case. The committee, comprising Police DIG South Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, the home department additional secretary and representatives of Karachi Central Jail, will submit its report within a week.

Moreover, the prison department promoted six deputy jail superintendents of grade, BPS-16, to superintendents of grade BPS-17. The department notification said these officials deserved the higher rank.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2014.