The reality of prisons in Karachi
July 08, 2017
KARACHI: A forlorn, helpless young man A* stands within the premises of Central Jail Karachi. The youth had hoped to meet his older brother, who he claimed was falsely imprisoned 10 days ago, but instead was handed a body.
Explaining his ordeal, he said that his older brother, 22-year-old Nadeem, was arrested and taken to Landhi police station and later shifted to Central Jail over his alleged involvement in criminal activities.
“My mother wanted to see my brother but she was not allowed [by the authorities],” he said, adding that his mother was told to come see her older son the next day.
However, the next day the family was handed the lifeless body of Nadeem.
The story is similar to that of another man, Mohammad Shabbir, who was arrested and imprisoned. He was suffering from mental disabilities and found dead under suspicious circumstances.
The increasing number of mysterious deaths point towards a bigger problem in the city’s prisons.
Just this year, five prisoners died in January, two in February, two in March, four in April and three in May. Interestingly, the cause of death of most of the prisoners was the same, ‘heart failure’.
In the last five months, about nine prisoners have died in Central Jail, while six in Malir Jail.
To make matters worse, the police also slip in blank papers among other documents to get signatures from prisoners’ families. Such blank papers are later uses to file reports stating that families did not want further investigation of the case.
When contacted for comment, the jail authorities maintained their silence over the matter.
On the other hand, the medical facilities available at prisons are in an abysmal condition.
Just six types of medicines are available at the medicine centre, according to a prison hospital source.
Official negligence
A recent prison break by two militants not only exposed the lack of security in the jails but also highlighted the negligence of the officials.
Reports revealed that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militants, Sheikh Mumtaz alias Firon and Ahmed alias Munna, were helped by five inmates of Central Jail Karachi in their escape plan.
Since the jailbreak, 12 police personnel, including the jail superintendent and deputy jail superintendent, have been arrested.
Central jail sweep
Recently, security personnel seized about 700 televisions and LCDs, 102 mobile phones, 82 speakers, 18 deep freezers, three DVD players, 31 water dispensers, more than a dozen water coolers, 56 tonnes of ration, 10 illegal kitchens and 163 gas cylinders during a raid in Central Jail on June 19, this year.
Moreover, a huge quantity of contraband and Rs3.3 million of looted cash were also recovered. Some of the prisoners were using technology to bypass the mobile phone jammers placed within premises of the jail.
The recovery of goods served as an eye-opener regarding the conditions of the city’s prisons, begging authorities to take stern action against such negligence.
*Name hidden to protect identity
