Karachi inmates allowed to visit homes during trial, reveals jail official

KARACHI: Senior Superintendent Central Prison Karachi Hassan Sahito has pointed out that influential prisoners were allowed to visit their homes during their incarceration, days after a suspect in Dua Mangi kidnapping case escaped from police custody while several other inmates were found staying at private hospitals, ARY NEWS reported.

The letter written from the Central Prison Karachi’s official a year back obtained by ARY NEWS showed that the illegal act was pointed out to DIG Prisons, however, apparently, no action was taken unless the issue came to the limelight after Zohaib Qureshi, a prime suspect in Dua Mangi case, escaped from the police custody.

The letter pointed out that court police allegedly facilitated the prisoners brought to the courts for hearing and used their private cars to shift the prisoners rather than jail vans.

“After the hearing, the prisoners were taken to their homes rather than being brought directly to the jail,” he said and added that even high-profile suspects in NAB cases and other special courts availed the facility which could prove to be a security risk.

He asked the DIG to ensure the travelling of prisoners in jail vans while being taken to courts so that any security risk could be avoided in future.

The sources privy to the details of the letter said that despite conveying the concerns to the top official, no action was taken, which resulted in the escape of Zohaib Qureshi, who used to visit his home in a private car during his trial process.