KARACHI, June 16: Amid reports of corruption and mismanagement in prisons, the Sindh Assembly was on Thursday informed that 19 district jails in the province were stuffed with more than double their capacity.

The information was provided by Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui during question hour. In his written reply to a question from Ms Humera Alvani of the PPP, Mr Siddiqui said that total capacity of these prisons was 9,307 while the number of the inmates was 19,998. A large number of prisoners were languishing in the jails without trial.

The most crowded jails in the province were Karachi Central Prison, District Jail Malir, and central prisons in Larkana, Sukkur and Hyderabad, he said, giving a break-up (see table).

In reply to a supplementary question, the minister said measures were being taken to tackle the problem of overcrowding in prisons which housed 40 to 45 per cent convicts and another 7,000 to 10,000 under trial prisoners.

Mr Siddiqui also referred to various security measures for preventing narcotics from being smuggle into prisons. In this regard, he said, a week-long ban had been imposed on people’s visit to Sukkur Jail but this had created a stir. Nevertheless, security check of visitors had been tightened, he added.

The minister complained of resource constraints and shortage of staff in dealing with such problems which were also compounded by the fact that the jail manual being followed was as old as 100 years.

He was of the view that a five-member house committee should be formed to amend the laws to meet the present day requirements.

He also informed the house that during 2004, 265 people — 147 men, 95 women, 15 boys and eight girls – had committed suicide.

Responding to yet another question of Ms Alwani, the home minister explained that use of tinted and black glass in motor vehicles was prohibited under Rule-160 of the Motor Vehicle Rules-1969.

He told the house that the vehicles belonging to the CM’s House, departmental secretaries, police officials and law-enforcement agencies were not exempted from the ban/law and were bound to follow them. Police were regularly taking action against violators of the ban, he added.

Replying to a question from Nasrullah Shaji of MMA about the killings of Mufti Jameel and Maulana Nazeer, the home minister stated that no culprit had yet been arrested because no eyewitness was available. He maintained that the statements of those present around the scene of offence had been recorded, but they also appeared unable to identify the assailants. Mr Siddiqui told the house that spy network had been expanded to obtain a clue. At the same time, he claimed that the Majlis Khatm-i-Nabuwwat was not extending cooperation in this regard.

About law and order, the home minister claimed that the situation across the province was under control. He said Rs433.958 million was spent on paramilitary forces for maintaining law and order in the province during 2004. Arms licenses were being issued by the DCOs concerned to the tax-paying applicants after getting their security clearance from police, special branch, the UC nazim concerned and the DPSC.

Replying to a question, the minister denied reports about gambling dens in Baldia Town.