KARACHI, Oct 19: The Sindh government is yet to comply with the Supreme Court directive asking it to initiate work on the expansion of the police lock-up in the City Courts.

The sewerage around the lock-up has collapsed and the front area always remains submerged by sewage.

Owing to the spreading sewage people, including lawyers, prisoners and police staff, face hardship while moving about.

People suffer particularly when prison vans are parked in front of the main gate of the lock-up for pick or drop of under-trial prisoners (UTPs).

In such a situation the pedestrians cannot use the footpath and are left with no option but to wade through the filthy water.

The prison vans parked in front of the lock-up also hinder the movement of people going to the canteens and to the courts of District West.

Following the directive of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Sindh Home Secretary Brig (retd) Ghulam Mohammed Mohtaram, Special Home Secretary Rasheed Alam and IG (Prisons) Mohammad Yameen Khan visited the under-trial prisoners’ lock-up in the City Courts on Aug 15 and pledged that work on its expansion would begin within a week.

During a meeting with the officials in the committee room of the City Courts, the office-bearers of the Karachi Bar Association had suggested that canteens 1 and 2, including the cabins, be demolished for the expansion of the lock-up area.

An architect accompanying the officials was asked to prepare a design for the lock-up’s extension.

They had also held a meeting with the office-bearers of the Karachi Bar Association and discussed with them the lawyers’ problems.

Lock-up staff suggest that its main gate be opened on Raja Riaz Shaheed Road, formerly Lewis Road, so that the prison vans could directly enter the enclosure.

An official of courts police, requesting anonymity, said the lock-up was very low in level and in case of rains and blocked sewers people faced great difficulties.

He said if its design was changed and expanded, it would help check the supply of narcotics to the prisons.

The lock-up, he said, was built in 1940 for a small number of prisoners and it could not meet the present needs.