KARACHI:
The Sindh government has started appointing officers from non-prison service groups to senior positions within the provincial prison system.
This move comes in the wake of a major jailbreak at Malir District Jail, where more than 200 inmates escaped earlier this week.
On Thursday, the Sindh government appointed Fida Hussain Mastoi, a Federal Police Service officer and current DIG of Traffic Police Hyderabad, as IG Prisons.
This marks the first time an officer from outside the Prisons Service Group has been appointed to this role.
The appointment follows the promulgation of an ordinance amending the Sindh Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2019. Issued by Acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah, the ordinance allows officers from other federal and provincial services, including the Pakistan Administrative Service, Police Service of Pakistan, and the Provincial Management Service, to be appointed to senior prison posts such as IG Prisons, DIG Prisons, and Senior Superintendent of Jails.
The revised law also grants the Provincial Minister for Prisons, Haji Ali Hassan Zardari, the authority to directly appoint Senior Superintendents of Jails in major facilities, including Karachi Central Jail.
Previously, such appointments were made on the recommendation of the Home Department, which forwarded candidate summaries to the Chief Secretary for approval.
Until now, only officers from the Prisons Service Group were eligible for top positions in the Sindh Prisons Department, in accordance with the 2019 Act.
With this ordinance, that restriction has been lifted, and officers from other backgrounds, including Sindh Police, are now eligible for prison leadership roles.
The timing of the ordinance has raised eyebrows, as it was issued just hours after the high-profile security breach at Malir Jail.
In response to the escape, the Sindh government has dismissed IG Prisons Qazi Nazir and suspended DIG Prisons Muhammad Hassan Sehto, along with the superintendent, deputy superintendent, and several jail officials.
Inmates sent on judicial remand
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday remanded 115 inmates to judicial custody in connection with the recent jailbreak at District Jail Malir.
The prisoners were brought under heavy security to the Anti-Terrorism Complex located within Karachi Central Jail.
During the hearing, the court strongly criticised police for submitting an incomplete remand report.
