KARACHI, May 19: Speakers at a function on Thursday urged philanthropists and NGOs to come forward and join hands to ensure provision of due facilities to women prisoners in the province. They were expressing their views on the occasion of the inauguration of the Adult Literacy Centre (ALC), a Montessori classroom, prayers room, etc., established at the Special Prison for Women.

Sindh Information Secretary Mahtab A. Rashdi, IG Prisons Brig (r) Ayaz Mughany, Fauzia Zuberi and Sheeba Shah were among those who spoke on the occasion.

Brig Mughany pointed out that owing to the assistance from NGOs, many facilities were made available to the inmates of the women prison in the city.

Observing that such facilities were not available to the inmates of other women prisons elsewhere in the province, he urged NGOs to extend assistance and cooperation in this regard.

Ms Mahtab Rashdi noted that philanthropists and NGOs in other towns were willing to work with the government for women inmates’ welfare, but because of their belonging to smaller towns and the psychological barriers between police and people, they could not approach jail authorities. In this regard, she suggested that jail authorities should invite local philanthropists and civil society organizations to come forward and help improve life of inmates.

She stressed that inmates should also enjoy all basic human rights, mainly cleanliness in their surroundings and hygienic food, and efforts should be made to ensure that no basic right was violated.

Fauzia Zuberi of the Educational Aid Welfare Society, which has provided assistance for the construction and renovation of the ALC and other facilities at the women prison, said that her NGO had also established a library and a computer centre in the prison earlier. The NGO, she said, was providing assistance in the field of education to inmates for more than seven years.

Superintendent of the Special Prison for Women Sheeba Shah presented vote of thanks. Later, the guests were taken around various sections of the prison.

Children of the inmates, living with them in the prison, were presented gift packs by Ms Rashdi and Brig Mughany who inaugurated the new facilities.