The single bench of SHC of Justice Ameer Hani Muslim conducted the hearing over the reports of the district judges along with the constitutional petition filed by Human Rights Commission South Asia’s representative Syed Iqbal Kazmi, Sindh High Court on Monday suspended 13 officials including officials of Malir District Jail after disclosing corruptions and misconduct, while directed the Inspector General of Prison of Sindh to take disciplinary action against them and to submit its report till September 28.

District and Sessions Judge of Malir, Mustafa Gulzar Memon, submitted his report regarding the survey of the said prison. The report was inscribed with the issues of corruptions, violation in code of conduct and other mismanagements. While it also revealed that the selling of drugs in the prisons was on peak.

After examining the report, the court issued directives to suspend all the higher officials of the district prison except Jailor Shahabuddin Siddiqui. The officials who were suspended including Jail Superintendent Ashiq Gulzar, Deputy Superintendent Anwar Mustafa Zaidi, Chief Warden Imdad Jetohi, Head Warden Musharraf Hussain Shah, Head Warden Mohammad Ali, Warden Adab Hussain and others. In the meantime, the court also restricted for not deploying the suspended officials in the district jail in future also. While passing the rulings in the court, Justice Ameer Hani Muslim said that the under trial prisoners should not be made to work forcefully as it was disclosed in the report. The report also said that the jail officials and personnel treated the prisoners in a cruel and inhuman way. The bench earlier perused a report by Malir district and sessions judge who visited the Malir District Prison and observed that UTPs were being forced to work in the prison.

The bench inquired from the Sindh Advocate General Muhammad Yousuf Leghari as to what could be done in view of report by Malir district and sessions judge. The Sindh AG suggested constitution of an inquiry committee to look into the contents of the report. The suggestion was opposed by the petitioner. Special Home Secretary Kamran Dost stated that prisons fall under the jurisdiction of Home Department and if court orders any action, it would be carried out. The court later appointed Sindh inspector general prisons to take appropriate departmental action.

The court later adjourned further proceedings till September 28 while directing that a number of officials be transferred from Malir District Prison to any other prison of the province. The court said that initially, the competent authority shall post all jail officials and staff, excluding assistant superintendent and a police constable (since no specific role was assigned to them in the complaints), outside Malir Prison, and till conclusion of inquiry they shall not be assigned any field duty since no specific role was assigned to them in the complaints. The court ordered that the competent authority shall initiate departmental proceedings against jail officials and conclude it within one month, adding that appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty. The court also directed the inquiry officer to go through the personal files of the officers so as to ascertain their previous conduct.