KARACHI, Aug 15: Following the directives of the Supreme Court, officials of the Sindh government visited the under-trial prisoners’ (UTPs) lock-up and said that work on its expansion would start within one week.

The officials, including Home Secretary Brig (retd) Ghulam Mohammad Mohtaram, Special Home Secretary Rasheed Alam and IG Prisons Mohammad Yameen Khan, visited the lock-up and observed that its expansion was urgently needed.

An engineer also accompanied them. He was asked to prepare the design of the lock-up. The officials also met the leaders of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) in the Committee Room of the City Courts.

KBA President Iftikhar Javaid Qazi and General-Secretary Naeem Qureshi raised a number of issues including the provision of arms licences to lawyers, security arrangements in the courts’ premises, provision of a building for setting up of a library and bar room, etc.

They said due to poor security arrangements beggars were openly roaming the courts’ corridors.

They also alleged that police personnel were hand-in-glove with the users and sellers of contraband items such as hashish and asked for the installation of cameras at the gates.

They said the KBA had already installed five cameras in and around the bar room, but it was difficult for the association due to lack of funds.

They agreed to remove canteen No. 1 and 2, including the cabins, in order to provide maximum space to the lock-up.

The officials told the lawyers that the Supreme Court had taken notice of a story in a newspaper and the government would take steps as per the directions of the superior court.

It was said that out of 35 vehicles, three were provided to the Karachi Courts’ police for the transportation of UTPs.

It may be mentioned here that the problems regarding the UTPs were highlighted by Dawn in its issue of July 27, 2007.