HYDERABAD, Nov 2: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jameel has asked the jail administration to convert prison into a reforms centre to curb crime from the society. He was distributing food and clothes among mentally retarded and women prisoners at the Hyderabad central prison on Tuesday evening.

Mr Jameel lauded the efforts of the jail management and other donor organizations for opening a school and a computer centre in the women jail.

He said such measures would act as a source of income to the prisoners and help to convert the prison into a reforms centre.

Speaking on the occasion, the district nazim said that the government was already operating a women handicraft training centre in the Hyderabad prison for special women with the financial assistance of the district Baitul Maal.

He said that there were many prisoners who were languishing in jails because they could not afford to pay the fees of lawyers.

Mr Jameel said it was the duty of NGOs working for the welfare of prisoners to conduct a survey, collect data and approach lawyers and donors to get destitute prisoners released.

He said the district government also intended to reactivate the prison committee to supplement such efforts.

The nazim said that he would visit the central prison and the special women jail after Eidul Fitr to inquire about the problems of prisoners.

He stressed upon the management of prison to provide all facilities to the prisoners according to jail manual.

Mr Jameel also announced Rs50,000 to establish a religious library for the prisoners.

MPA Syed Arshad Shah, Jail AIG Ashiq Hussain Memon, Superintendent Jail Muzaffar Alam Siddiqui, Deputy Superintendent Jail Naveed Hassan and Superintendent Women Jail Uzma Hafiz were also present on the occasion.

SU: Vice Chancellor of the University Of Sindh Mazharul Haq Siddiqui has said the university would provide all possible support to reactivate the Sindh Science Society (SSS).

He was presiding over a meeting of a delegation of intellectuals and senior citizens for revival of the Sindh Science Society here on Wednesday.

The meeting was convened at the request of Hyderabad based NGO Trust for Rural Development.

The TRD had earlier convened a meeting on this issue in October, 2005, and constituted a committee of intellectuals to discuss the matter with stakeholders.

He said the university had already given a land to the society to promote sciences.

The vice chancellor suggested that a meeting of the executive committee would be convened to discuss the issue.

He said the society has a separate body to look after the affairs.

TRD’s leader Zafar Junejo highlighting the purpose of the meeting said that the Sindh Science Society, the intellectuals and members of the delegation wanted to reactivate the society to promote scientific literature.

The meeting also discussed the services rendered by the society relating to publication of books and periodicals in the field of science.

SSS Secretary Dr Umar Dahot informed the meeting that the society had published 16 books on various topics in different languages.

He said the society had also started a regular periodical science journal.

The meeting decided that a meeting of the members of the executive committee would be held on November 14 at the Sindh University.

Others who were also present on the occasion were Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, M. H. Panhwar, Prof Aijaz Qureshi, Taj Joyo, Ali Hassan Mallah and Prof Ali Murtaza Dharejo.

ADMISSIONS: The University of Sindh director of graduate studies announced here on Wednesday admissions in the MPhil programme in Arabic and Comparative Religion and Islamic Culture.

Interested candidates were advised to submit admission forms for enrolment.

The forms are available at the Jamshoro branch of Habib bank and on the university website, www.usindh.edu.pk