KARACHI, April 23: The Special Prison for Women is housing almost two-and-a-half times more prisoners than its normal capacity. Sources said that the special prison had a capacity of 105 prisoners while at present 253 women along with their 41 children were languishing there.

Responding to Dawn queries, Prison Superintendent Sheeba Shah agreed that the jail was overcrowded. However, she pointed out that the construction of a new barrack, with a capacity of 35 prisoners, was almost complete. The barrack would soon be put into use after which the housing problem would be solved to a large extent, she added.

Ms Sheeba said that she had arranged two separate portions - one for the foreigners, overwhelming majority of whom was jailed for narcotics-related crimes, and the other for prostitutes. While the rest of the inmates lived in other barracks.

She said that out of 253 only 58 prisoners - hardly around 23 per cent - were convicted while the rest were under trial prisoners. Majority of them were in the prison owing to the charges relating to murder or Hudood Ordinances, she disclosed.

The superintendent said that about 20 prisoners were granted bails by the courts. However, she added, they were still in the prison as they failed to submit the bail amount that ranged from Rs50,000 to Rs200,000.

About the health condition of prisoners, she said that when ultra sound test of 35 inmates was conducted two were detected with stones in kidneys. The patients needed immediate surgery, she said adding that she approached the home department to get them shifted to hospital.

As soon as the permission was granted, she said, they would be shifted to the Civil Hospital. Recently an eye camp was organised in the jail. Six inmates detected with some eye ailments needed immediate surgery.