By Dilshad Azeem
The Sindh government has yet to comply with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s clear orders, duly approved by President Asif Ali Zardari, to bring reforms in prisons department including up-gradation of existing workforce.
Official documents available with ‘The News’ unambiguously provide that Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan, have executed the chief justice’s orders with the Sindh’s relevant departments entangled in differences. “Sindh’s home and finance departments involved in the process are at loggerheads instead of finding a solution to ensure the jail reforms at par with the CJ’s orders that includes up-gradation of prisons’ chain of command,” sources disclosed.
The Chief Minister Secretariat, prisons authorities, home and finance departments seem neither in a hurry to take a final decision as to when the jail reforms are to be implemented following other three provinces. “The matter, a summary of the home department on behalf of prisons section and finance department’s objections on it, is pending before Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah who also holds the finance portfolio,” the sources said.
The chief justice during his visit to the Central Prison Karachi on May 10, 2009 had directed that service structure of the prisons employees be developed with due consideration to training, promotions and career advancement. Subsequently, President Zardari while presiding a meeting on May 25, 2009 at Karachi also gave direction for up-gradation of posts in prisons department to bring them at par with the police department. Provincial Minister for Prisons Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra confirmed that the matter is still pending and is not implemented though six months are lapsed. “I met the chief minister two days back requesting him to implement the service reforms in Sindh prisons.”
Asked about the CM’s response, Shujra said the CM said that the CJ announcement would be implemented in letter and spirit hopefully in next couple of days. “I am sure the CM would shortly issue necessary orders on the summary.” Also confirming differences between home department’s summary and finance department’s observations on it, he said that finance department besides other objections, gave an excuse of finance scarcity despite these reforms need less than a few million rupees annually.” The Home department’s summary No SO (Prison-1) HD/11-8-/09 reads, “In all, the reform of existing structure, including up-gradation, promotion of incumbent holding isolated posts and removal of anomalies will cost Rs9.958 million (a year).” These reforms, it said, are necessary to infuse spirit of dignity among employees and to streamline service structure of prisons department to bring it in tune with the modern era demands.
According to the home department, the number of jails and population of inmates were very limited until about 30 years ago. “With the passage of time, crime has increased and consequently, number of hardened criminals in jails has also gone up and workload in prisons has increased over years which necessitates up-gradation and introduction of changes in the existing service structure.” On the proposals of the home department sent to the CM in form of a summary, the finance department responded heavily while mentioning various reasons including those do not fall under its jurisdiction.
Its letter, available with this corresponded, responded parawise to Home department is more interesting as it mentioned various heads opposing the proposed reforms restructuring. The head titled with “On up-gradation of posts”, it said financial implication as calculated is an underestimation and not correct. “There is hardly any correlation between upgrading the posts and controlling the crimes.” The same headline maintains that entire strength of prisons officers and staff would seek up-gradation if it is allowed once.
“The Home department and IG Prisons may work upon a comprehensive proposals to organise jails human resource and job structure on basis of units in the hierarchy i.e from district jails to central prisons and based on the need assessment propose a uniform structure which also carried potential of career advancements for the employees of jails.” The proposal to change nomenclatures is not supported on the grounds that the jails are correction facilities to change the mindset of hardened criminals and bring them in the mainstream of civilized society, the finance department’s observations read.
“Up-gradation of a post is a temporary solution and is not supported,” the finance department responded on home department’s subject on isolated posts.” It further maintains that removing the anomalies would require abolishing the existing posts and creating new higher posts. “Home department may take this matter up in the SNE exercise.”