ISLAMABAD, Jan 28: The Supreme Court constituted on Wednesday a Jail Reforms Committee comprising advocates-general of all the four provinces and the Attorney-General of Pakistan and directed it to compile a comprehensive report regarding jail reforms and submit it before the apex court till May 10.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal, Justice Hamid Ali Mirza and Justice Falak Sher, constituted the Jail Reforms Committee while hearing an appeal filed by the Sindh government through the federal government seeking setting aside the suo motu notice of the Sindh High Court in which it had expressed dissatisfaction over the jail conditions and ordered the Sindh government to bring instant reforms in the jails.

When the court took up the appeal for regular hearing, Deputy Attorney-General Hafiz S.A. Rehman, representing the federal government informed the court that the government was taking steps to improve the conditions of jails and all available resources were being utilized for improving the ongoing condition of the imprisonments of the country.

Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal pointed out that the current condition of the jails across the country was worst. He noted that the government should take steps in order to bring improvement in jail atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Punjab Advocate-General Shabbar Raza Rizvi informed the court that the Punjab government was bringing reforms in jails as soon as the funds were being availed.

Justice Falak Sher asked the AG about the funds being received from the Asian Development Bank. However, AG told the court that the funds received from the ADB were being used for the jail reforms.

Justice Falak Sher regretted that the ongoing condition of the jails across the country was worst and even the narcotics were being supplied and used in jails. He pointed out that the jail staff was not performing its duties properly and observed that the involvement of jail staff in supplying narcotics to the detained persons could not be ruled out.

The Sindh High Court had took suo motu notice against the worst condition of jails and expressed severe dissatisfaction over the jail conditions and inhuman attitude being meted out to the prisoners. Later, the Sindh government filed an appeal in the apex court seeking dismissal of the SHC verdict and contended that the government was trying to improve the jail conditions.-PPI