SUKKUR, Feb 14: An inspection team of the Sindh chief minister on Tuesday visited the Sukkur Central Jail-I, met prisoners in different barracks and recorded their statements.

The five-member team also looked into complaints of prisoners about illegal gratification and torture.

A member of the team told Dawn that he had opposed division of the jail into two portions because he thought that the proposal could not be implemented. However, he said, the team would recommend separate wards for under-trial prisoners and convicts.

He said the team would also recommend increasing the number of jail officials.

He denied that the jail was overcrowded, saying only 150 extra prisoners had been kept in the jail which had a capacity of 1,600 prisoners. He said the extra prisoners would be shifted to Ghotki and Naushahro Feroze after construction of jail buildings.

He said the reasons behind prisoners resorting to violence would be included in the report of the team.

The team comprised Sindh IGP, prisons, Ayaz Mughni, Mushtaq Ahmad, retired session judge Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari, DIGP Farooq Amin Qureshi and Manzoor Awan.

After visiting the jail, they left for Karachi to submit a report to the chief minister on the issue.