Malir jail is overflowing with inmates, Sindh Assembly told

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was informed on Thursday that inmates in different jails across the province were given same food on daily basis and there was no disparity in it, ARY News reported.

During a question hour session in the House, Sindh Minister for Works and Services Nasir Hussain Shah said prisoners were given 2800 to 3300 kilograms food in jails. The food provided to inmates is in accordance with health standards prescribed by the World Health Organisation.

He said prisoners were given chicken meat, pulses, rice and all reasonable food items.

He informed the assembly that 171 inmates in Karachi jail and 1200 in Hyderabad were suffering from hepatitis. He said the same disease was found in 42 prisoners in Sukkur, 46 Larkana, eight Khairpur, while 14 female prisoners also suffering from diseases.

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He said the total number of inmates suffering from health issues in Karachi and Larkana stood at 2847. The minister said a woman with her five kids was also imprisoned at Larkana jail. As many as 272 inmates died from January 2014 to 2016, he told the provincial assembly.

He said Sindh currently had 27 jails, adding that purification plants were also installed in jails.

Shah said inmates in Malir jail were exceeding its capacity.

To a question, he said prisoners suffering from AIDS have separate cells, and all those jailed persons were being given necessary treatments.

Answering another question about installation of jammers in central jails causing difficulties to citizens, the minister said the step was taken for jails security. We cannot tell with certainty about resolution to this problem, he stated.

The minister further said children from nursery-level were also imprisoned.