Walking into the Karachi Central Jail one doesn’t feel like it conforms to the stereotypical image of what a jail is ‘supposed’ to look. Instead of plain white walls and bars, there are manicured lawns, murals painted on the walls, art studios, music rooms, a large mosque, a salon in the women’s section, cells that resemble dormitories, inmates participating in recreational activities and a large open-air kitchen that served food that tastes better than that sold at most popular dhabas.

The purpose of the visit was to speak to Nusrat Manghan, the Inspector General Prisons (IGP) Sindh.

Under your governance, the prisons in Sindh have seen an introduction of the arts into the curriculum. There is a studio where inmates paint, while others teach, their work is often exhibited and sold as well. What led you to do this?

Manghan: I believe that if we keep jails ‘closed’, the reform and rehabilitation process of criminals will stop right there. Fine art is one medium through which a person can do his/her catharsis. He takes everything that is bothering his heart and mind to the canvas and unburdens himself. It’s a powerful medium.

The Karachi Central Jail also recently launched its own magazine, The Prison Review, earlier this year. We’ve organised poetry recitals as well, in both Sindhi and Urdu. We’re in the process of holding a drama for which rehearsals are currently underway and we’re also holding music lessons.

Prisoners preparing for exams

“This is a ‘soft’ medium that mentally stimulate a person and sensitises their minds. If a hard-core criminal, who has known only how to pick up a Kalashnikov or a TT pistol begins to work with a brush and canvas, then obviously the way he thinks will eventually change.”

A report published by the Legal Aid Office states that in 2011, ‘An Islamic instructor managed to brainwash an entire population into becoming violent extremists within a span of a year. When prison authorities gained knowledge of this, they terminated Islamic instructor from his duties which created a short revolt from the prisoners.’ How could such a person pass through the checks and balances of the prison authorities and gain access to the inmates?

Manghan: “I have an issue with that report. A teacher can’t simply come in and convert the entire jail. This sounds dramatic and it wasn’t the case. Yes, if someone wants to come in and exert his own influence and if he has access he can, but only to a certain extent. We’ve always taken immediate action against any such person who has been reported to us.

“We are aware of everything that is happening. When a class is in session, it’s not as if it’s only students who are attending. There are our people present as well and they give us feedback on what was taught. All charitable organisations and religious teachers that work inside the prison have been properly vetted. Some have even been banned.”

Are there any de-radicalisation programmes to help rehabilitate hardened militants that are incarcerated? Also, one of the major concerns regarding some of the programmes is that if you teach hardened criminals or militants computer and other skills, you are essentially equipping them with tools they can use for their criminal activities once released.

Manghan: “We haven’t introduced any such programme for hardened criminals because of security reasons. For that we need a proper, isolated place where full security arrangements can be made. We don’t have that. We don’t want to give them a loose end, that in attempting to ‘reform’, a security lapse may take place.”

One of the key issues faced in prisons all over the world is the movement of drugs and cell phones in and out of prison. How difficult is it to deal with that here?

Manghan: “Thank God that now in Karachi Central Prison we’ve installed jammers.

“Inmates mostly smuggled drugs during trips to the court for their hearings. They make a capsule out of the drugs and swallow them. Once inside the prison, they vomit them out or defecate them.”

He showed a bag full of drugs that had been confiscated from inmates returning to prison. The drugs had been taped into tablet-shaped, eraser-sized capsules. Some had light bloodstains on them.

“A long time ago, a prisoner died this way. The capsule ruptured inside him, he was rushed to Civil Hospital and he was operated on. Other capsules were recovered from inside his body, but by then the drug had spread throughout his body and he died.

“It’s impossible to completely eliminate drugs from entering the prison. Their job is to bring them; our job is to catch them. It’s an on-going process. The rate of confiscation is high but obviously it’s not 100pc. That’s not humanly possible.”

According to a report by the Legal Aid Office, ‘… a major riot took place in Hyderabad’s Central Jail in March 2011 resulting in death and injury to prisoners and prison staff. Inmates involved, who later appeared before a judicial commission, mentioned that drugs were sold to prisoners with the support of the prison authorities and prisoners claimed that cannabis was cultivated inside the prison.’

Manghan: “This story is three or four years old. Back then a lot of prisons in Sindh were running without any proper system. Gradually prison management put them in order and thankfully now, there is no situation in any jail where riots would take place.

“The main reason behind riots is mismanagement. If it happens then that means that some kind of fault/responsibility lies with the management. If we keep everything properly managed, there would be no trouble.”

In 2012 the Sindh chief of a faction of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi headed by Naeem Bukhari had been caught. Hafiz Qasim Rasheed alias Ganja, who is also a high-profile target-killing suspect with over 100 murders to his credit was arrested and a hand grenade, Kalashnikov, pistol and a hit-list were recovered from his possession. The list contained names of police officers he had allegedly murdered because they created problems for his family when they came to visit him in jail during his incarceration. Do incidents like these happen often?

Manghan: “We have lost many of our people this way. This happens everywhere. Prison officials, guards are always under threat — by the mafia, gangs, terrorists — especially by those who belong to habitual and professional gangs. The pressure on the staff regarding this is always there.”

In a talk held several months ago, IG Prisons Sindh, Nusrat Manghan had talked about the location of Karachi Central Jail presenting a security problem not only to the jail, but to the people of the densely populated area around it. When the jail was constructed it was in the outskirts of the city and now, it is smack in the middle of it. What is the alternative? Can they move the prison elsewhere?

Manghan: “Following Punjab, several high-security prisons are being constructed in Sindh. The feasibility report has already been made and work is being done at a very fast pace. Inshallah, within a year or two we’ll have a separate high-security prison and high-risk prisoners will be shifted there.”

The Bannu jailbreak that took place in 2012 in which heavily-armed militants stormed the prison and managed to free 400 inmates was very well-coordinated attack. Do you think the Karachi Central Jail is prepared to deal with such an event?

Manghan: “Thank God we’re prepared to deal with any eventuality. Yes. We have that level of preparedness.”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 7th, 2014