KARACHI, June 12: The Sindh Privatization Commission (SPC) has finally got the approval to go ahead with a plan to dispose of the premises of Central Prison Karachi in consultation with the home and finance departments.

The SPC has been pursuing the privatization of some of the assets of the Sindh government, including the prison, as per decision of the provincial cabinet, dated January 8, 2002. However, due to certain bottlenecks the case of the prison could not make any headway despite its prime location as the building had been included in the list of cultural heritage through a notification, dated September 12, 1995, under section 6 of the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.

During the PPP government, when the initiative was taken to shift the prison outside the city limits and a site of 135 acres land was selected on the National Highway, near Ghagar Phatak, the authorities had received an offer from the private sector to build the required size of the prison building in addition to generation of funds for the government in lieu of the premises of the prison on the University Road.

But now it is learnt that the strategy evolved by the SPC for disinvestment of the prison assets could generate an amount only enough to construct a new prison.

The cultural department of the provincial government obliged the privatization commission by delisting the prison building from the cultural heritage cover to pave the way for its quick disposal.

The Central Prison Karachi was built in 1899, initially for 450 inmates as at the time of its construction the population of Karachi was only .03 million. Later on, when the population increased the capacity of the prison was enhanced to accommodate 1,500 prisoners. At present it provides cover to about 4,000 inmates.

The present building, which is spread over 59 acres, is situated in the heart of the city as its surrounding areas have been populated due to influx of people from all parts of the country, in addition to those who came from India soon after the creation of Pakistan.

The multiplication of population has resulted in the mushroom growth of new settlements all around the old city, turning the once calm coastal town into a metropolitan city of over 14 million people.

The pressure of population increase has also resulted in a high crime rate. With the over-crowding of the prison, the administration has been facing problems of discipline and law and order situation, in addition to moral turpitude which had been pointed out by various committees formed by successive governments for prison reforms and most of them recommended its shifting from the city after construction of a new modern prison to meet the needs.

However, in view of the importance of some of its barracks, in which freedom fighters like Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali were incarcerated, it was suggested to preserve these portions and turn them into museums, while rest of the area could be disposed of through auction.