KARACHI: Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Sheikh on Tuesday directed district and sessions judges to visit district jails every week and designate judicial magistrates for speedy disposal of ordinary criminal cases.

Official sources told Dawn that the chief justice himself paid a surprise visit to the Malir district jail and visited its different barracks. CJ Sheikh met inmates and inquired about problems they faced in the jail, they added.

The sources said that the prisoners told the chief justice that there was lack of medical and other basic facilities in the prison. They said the prisoners also complained that they were not being provided facilities in accordance with the jail manual and rules. They said that the inmates informed the chief justice that they were not being given remissions to their respective sentences under the jail manual.

Remission for inmates announced after Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh’s visit to Malir jail

Expressing displeasure over the state of affairs in the prison, the chief justice immediately summoned provincial prisons chief Nusrat Manghan, added the sources. The chief justice then asked the inspector general of prisons to ensure provision of medical and all other facilities to the prisoners under the jail laws, the sources said.

They added that CJ Sheikh also directed the district and sessions judges to conduct surprise visits to the district jails on a weekly basis and ensure the grievances of the jail inmates were duly and immediately addressed.

The sources said that the district and sessions judges were further asked to designate judicial magistrates who would hear and decide the cases of ordinary crimes during their visits.

During his visit to the jail, the chief justice was also informed that as many as 453 criminal appeals were disposed of at the SHC’s principal seat and circuit benches.

Following the CJ’s visit to the Malir district jail, the IG prisons announced a 60-day special remission to the entitled jail inmates across the province. He then directed the superintendents of prisons in the province for a special remission of 30 days to the convicts under the jail rules with direction that the convicts’ inquisition fulfilled the requirement as laid down in Rule No. 214 of the PPR (Pakistan Prisons Rules).

Those convicted for espionage, anti-state subversion, terrorism, karo kari (honour killing) and Foreigners Act, 1946 are not entitled for remission under the jail rules.

The prisons chief also directed the jail superintendents across the province to intimate the number of convicted prisoners who would be released after remission.

Another inquiry against Sharjeel Memon

The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday requested the SHC to not allow PPP leader and former Sindh information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon to travel abroad as another inquiry into illegal allotment of forest land was under way against him.

A two-judge bench was hearing three applications of the former minister — two seeking extension in his pre-arrest bail in the cases and one against the federal government’s decision of placing his name on the Exit Control List.

In its comments, NAB submitted that the inquiry against the former provincial information minister could be affected if he was allowed to leave the country.

The bench also extended pre-arrest bail granted to the former provincial minister till May 23.

Meanwhile, the court directed its office to separate his bail applications that were earlier clubbed together with his application seeking removal of his name from the ECL.

The bench also issued a notice to the Federal Investigating Agency to file its comments.

The PPP leader faces two corruptions references, one pertaining to alleged award of advertisements at exorbitant rates and the other to illegal adjustment and consolidation of hundreds of acres of land in favour of a private housing project.

One of the references sent by the NAB chairman said that the investigation was conducted regarding corruption and corrupt practices in the advertisement awareness campaigns on TV channels and FM radio between July 2013 and June 2015 and it was found that the accused acted with the connivance of each other resulting in losses to the national exchequer.

The other reference against the former minister pertained to illegal allotment and adjustment of land in 43 dehs of Malir in favour of Bahria Town. According to his counsel, NAB had filed reference against him without giving him an opportunity of fair hearing.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2017