Senate body seeks detailed briefing on jail reforms

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Friday sought a detailed briefing of the Ministry of Interior on the matter of jail reforms all over the country and recommended separate jails and women administration for women prisoners, stressing that there is a need for a separate jails for women prisoners and female staff and administration.

Chairman of the committee Rehman Malik directed the constitution of sub-committee headed by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed to prepare a report on jail reforms and also recommended preparation a report on reform in collaboration with the home secretaries, IGPs and other concerned authorities of the four provinces.

The meeting of the Senate’s committee was chaired by Rehman Malik and was attended among others by senators Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Javed Abbasi, Kalsoom Parveen, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Kauda Babar, Sheikh Ateeq, and Sardar Shafiq Tareen also attended the meeting.

Additional secretary interior, chief commissioner and DC Islamabad and other officials from Ministry of Interior, Law and Justice, NIH, NCOC and Islamabad Police were also present. Rehman Malik said that prisoners also have rights which we have to be taken care of. He said that this committee has already received many complaints of ill-treatment of prisoners in various jails of the country. He also decided to make a surprise visit to any jail in the country to check the condition of the inmates.

Senator Kulsoom Parveen said that apart from Pakistan's prisons, the condition of Darul Aman is also very poor. The Committee considered “The Islamabad Capital Territory Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) Bill, 2020” introduced by Senator Javed Abbasi in the House on 24th August, 2020. Rehman Malik said that the prosecution department is one of the key departments facilitating the administration of the criminal justice system. He said that in the absence of any law dealing specifically with the issues related to the criminal prosecution, the prosecution department cannot work effectively and efficiently.