KARACHI: Sept 4: Everyday some 180 to 200 prisoners of the Malir District Jail need to be produced in court. However, the two vehicles sent to the prison can take only half the number of prisoners. This is intensifying overcrowding in the prison which has now 3718 prisoners, more than five times its capacity of 693.

Of the total, 3,277 are under-trial prisoners, 430 convicts and 11 detainees. Superintendent Qamar Husain Shah feels that this problem can only be eased if the magistrates hold the trial of prisoners guilty of minor offences within the prison.

“Such cases can easily be disposed of, if the prisoners want to plead guilty. It requires neither a lawyer, nor witnesses. Today, we have some 1000 such prisoners who want to plead guilty and leave the prison as soon as their term is served.”

These prisoners are mostly accused of minor theft, and under section 107 CRPC (preventive detention), section 109 and for having a small quantity of drugs on their person.

The problem is only the magistrates of Districts West and Central visit Malir Jail every fortnight or every month and hold trials. The magistrates of Districts South, East and Malir do not come. And this is adding to the hardships of the prisoners.

Qamar Husain Shah recalls that in 1994, when he was superintendent of this same prison for a few months, he had freed some 1000 prisoners by holding trial of prisoners guilty of minor offences, within the prison.By permitting the prison population to rise well beyond its capacity leads to many problems. It leads to the spread of skin disease, which is common in prisons. It also increases the risk of respiratory infections. And it causes problems relating to hygiene and sanitation.

The prison resources are not sufficient to meet the food requirements, let alone the medicines for the prisoners. “Everyday we provide 20,000 rotis. But we cannot give rich protein food to drug addicts who need this because they are very weak. A few such prisoners only weigh 25 kg. Now we are talking to Alamgir Trust to increase its allotment of beef to help such prisoners.”

One positive development regarding the Malir jail, where more than 1000 drug addicts are being detained, is the agreement in principle by director Anti-Narcotic Force, Brig Salim Akhund, to build a drug rehabilitation centre with the prison walls. “We will provide the labour which will cut the construction cost by half. The ANF will provide the construction material.”

The ANF is also likely to supply medicines every month costing Rs50,000 to help treat the drug addicts. At present there is a shortage of medicines to help the addicts to deal with drug withdrawal symptoms.

It is unfortunate that addicts with a small amount of drugs are being sent to the prison, or brought there by their relatives, “Such persons are sick and should be treated by centres outside the prison. Having been sent here such people have to face the stigma of prison.

Only the people found with large amount of drugs should be sent to us”, says the superintendent.

He notes that after a few people ran away from treatment centres, more addicts started being sent to prison. “But a few such incidents should not go against such treatment centres.” He also observes that about half the addicts in the prison are brought by their relatives. “They cannot cope with the situation and believe that the prison will help the addict to overcome the drug habit.”

The superintendent says that in the past 18 months he has been able to arrange for the fines worth one million rupees imposed on indigent prisoners.”Philanthropists come forward specially during Ramazan and Eid to pay the fines. The concerned prisoners are brought before them and a receipt for the amount paid is immediately issued.”

Philanthropists have also donated clothes and medicines. However, legal aid has not been forthcoming, even by NGOs. The superintendent lades the efforts of IG prisons Brig Nisar for his keen interest in prisoners’ welfare.