Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told prisoners on Pakistan Day that he would not only give them remission for the current year but would also seek remission for the intervening period as they had not been given remission since 2013.
He made this announcement, speaking at a programme hosted by Minister for Jail Syed Nasir Hussain Shah to celebrate Pakistan Day at Karachi Central Jail Karachi. Those attended the function included Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani, CM's Adviser on Information Murtaza Wahab, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, IG Police Dr Kaleem Imam, Addl IG Karachi Dr Ameer Shaikh, Advocate General, Prosecutor General and other concerned officers of the province.
Amid deafening slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad,' Chief Minister felicitated the 79th Pakistan Day to the inmates and said he was saddened to see them celebrating March 23 in incarceration. "I am quite disturbed to see a crowd of prisoners in the jail. I want to see each and every one of you to lead a free, independent and respectable life with your families," he said, adding that he would be happy and satisfied to see vacant jail but this would be made possible when all, would behave responsibly.
He said he was committed to turn provincial jails into correction houses just to make the inmates useful, peaceful and responsible citizens on release after completing their sentence.
Murad Shah underlined importance of jail reforms, saying his government introduced some important reforms but they were not enough and now more reforms were required to improve conditions in jails.
He said that apart from educational and technical activities, he wanted to begin some behavioural exercises and psychotherapy for inmates so that their behaviour could be changed. He said that attitude towards punishment had changed over time and methods of punishment that were deemed acceptable in the past are now considered to be cruel because it failed to produce results.
"Our prosecution and investigation system have serious flaws, therefore, various prisoners are still languishing in jails despite having completed their jail term," he said, adding that a prisoner told him he was in the jail in a narcotics case and still his case was not challaned in the court despite passage of 120 years. He said different prisoners shared with him different stories and all those [stories] were speaking volume of flaws in our entire system; therefore, we have to improve it at any cost.
Chief Minister was presented calligraphy and his portrait of pencil work made by prisoners at the end of the programme. The chief minister mingled with the crowed of prisoners who had gathered to listen to him and met each and every one and listened to their grievances sympathetically. He issued directives to the jail authorities and his adviser Murtaza Wahab to provide relief to them.
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