Philanthropist pays fines to win 40 prisoners' release from Malir Jail

KARACHI: Malir Jail administration has released over 40 prisoners who had completed their sentences but didn’t have money to pay the fine to win their freedom, ARY News reported on Monday.

I.G. Jail Muzaffar Alam Siddiqui has said that 40 prisoners have been released from the jail after a philanthropist lady of Karachi paid the amount of fines imposed on these jail inmates in this holy month of Ramazan.

Their release from jail was not possible due to fines payable against them, the official said.

Millions of rupees have been paid to the authorities for the fine imposed on these prisoners, the jail police chief said.

These prisoners were convicted for theft, drugs, arms and other offences, jail chief said.

A large number of destitute prisoners suffering in jails despite completing their imprisonment.

Recently the government of Sindh government agreed in Sindh High Court to pay the fine imposed on 37 prisoners convicted in different cases. They had completed their sentences, but didn’t have money to pay for the fine.

Home Secretary Amanullah Zardari appeared before the high court and said that the government has agreed to release Rs330 million amount to pay diyat (blood money), arsh (compensation for hurting one’s organ) and daman (compensation decided by the trial court).

A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh and Justice Omar Sial, had ordered for the prisoners to be released in six days.

The prisoners have been languishing in jails across Sindh because they didn’t have money to pay fines, said petitioner Shahab Usto.

The petitioner said that the federal and provincial governments didn’t provide financial assistance or soft loans to the inmates as required under the Diyat, Arsh and Daman Fund Rules 2007. The Supreme Court had made the fund specifically to help prisoners who are unable to pay the fine.