Sindh CM approved summary to pay 'diyat' for poor prisoners; court told

KARACHI: Sindh chief secretary on Friday apprised the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the chief minister had approved a summary to pay ‘diyat’ (fine) amount for the prisoners languishing in jails despite completing sentences due to their inability to pay the fines imposed on them.

As the course of proceedings began, the chief secretary told the court that the CM Murad Ali Shah had approved the summary and as per rules, now a ministerial committee will give approval to release the amount.

The court asked that when would the committee give approval and who were the members of the committee?

The chief secretary apprised the court that the committee was comprised on Sindh Minister for Local Bodies Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Shaikh and provincial Minister for Works and Services Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

On the behalf of federal government, Ministry of Human Rights’ secretary appeared before the court. He told the court that the federal government had forwarded a bill to law ministry to amend the rules for diyat. The federal secretary told the court that the amendment process would be completed within a month. The court ordered him to submit an affidavit in this regard.

Earlier, the court had ordered the government to pay diyat on the behalf of the prisoners languishing in jails despite completing sentences due to their inability to pay the fines imposed on them.

A lawyer, Shahab Usto had filed a petition at SHC seeking the release of prisoners who remain in jail despite completing their sentences due to their inability to pay the fines. The petitioner had requested the government to pay the money from Baitul Maal.