ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: The Senate’s functional committee on human rights on Tuesday recommended construction of more prisons.

The report on conditions of prisons in the country presented by the committee chairman S. M. Zafar observed that there was no post of a lady doctor in the jail hospitals, some lady doctors visited the prisons on weekly basis from civil hospitals or some NGOs had made some arrangements. It said lady doctors should be posted immediately in central jails for the treatment of women prisoners.

The committee observed that production of under-trial prisoners before the courts concerned continued to pose a very serious concern, therefore a separate special police force should be created under jails’ administration for taking prisoners to courts on hearing dates.

The committee reviewed the portion of funds allocated to jails out of “Access to Justice Programme” under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights Division and observed that proper attention had not been paid to jails as far as the programme was concerned.

It recommended that the share of jails out of the allocation made to provinces under the programme should be increased.

The amount spent on creating a special police or establishing a judicial complex as a role model would greatly help in removing injustice and providing justice to under trial prisoners.

The report recommended provision of proper education facilities for the inmates as only some NGOs and madressahs were imparting religious education.

It said that no serious attempt was made to bring reform in jails such as imparting vocational training. The jails authorities should look into the matter properly.

It recommended construction of separate jails for women and juvenile offenders.

Minor children should not be sentenced and detained in jails under FCR as it was a serious violation of human rights.

According to report, parole and probation system was not being fully utilized as it would reduce overcrowding in the jails.—APP