KARACHI, May 23: As many as 17 prisoners are still languishing in the Central Prison, Karachi, despite completing their respective terms, for they don’t have the money to pay different fines imposed on them by the trial courts. Sources said these prisoners were now compelled to serve different terms in lieu of payment of fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs150,000. They said that the prisoners could be released with the assistance of philanthropists.

Arif Dawood advocate of D.K. Foundation, a non-governmental organization providing free legal aid to destitute prisoners, told Dawn that his organization had arranged the payment of fine of a convict, Mohammed Arif, who would have to undergo an additional one-year term in lieu of only Rs10,000 fine.

Other convicts who need money for the payment of fines are: Usman Ghani (Rs5,000); Samiullah Khan, M. Safique Allah Dita and Ghulam Rehman (10,000); Fareed Hussain and Abdul Rehman (25,000); Shah Hussain and Fareedullah (35,000); M. Hussain alias Agha Jan, M. Asif, Yaseen Dada alias Kamran and Islam son of Tufail (50,000); M. Adil, Mehmood Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed (100,000); and Amjad Faooq (150,000).

Besides, there are 19 under trial prisoners who have been granted bail from different courts, but their release could not be affected as they don’t have means to furnish sureties.

Arif Dawood said some of the under trial prisoners were granted bail even two years ago and they were compelled to stay in jail as they did not have people to stand surety for them.

These UTPs are: Sajid son of Noor Mohammed, Mudasar son of Hafiz Jee Qureshi, Javaid son of Akram Hayat, M. Sultan and M. Naseem (amount of surety Rs20,000); Ghulam Mustafa, Mushtaq son of Shoukat Ali and Afzal son of Yaseen (Rs25,000); Kamran son of Mohammad Iqbal (Rs30,000), Zahoor Ahmed (Rs30,000), Shahzad son of Rehmat Masih (Rs30,000), Sikandar Ali (Rs30,000), Samiullah son of Mohammad Ashraf (Rs30,000), Arshad son Siddique (Rs45,000), Younus son of Ditta (Rs50,000), Sharaf Ali (Rs50,000), Mohammad Maqsood (Rs50,000), and Nasir son of Fazal Khan (Rs50,000).