The Sindh Minister for Home, Prisons and Forests, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, presided over a meeting to review matters pertaining to production of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) in court.

The meeting was attended by the Provincial Home Secretary, Arif Khan; Inspector-General, Prisons, Muhammad Yamin Khan, and other senior officers.

The meeting, in the light of the Sindh High Court (SHC) directive, decided to hand over the entire staff of the court police, along with the post of SSP, court police, to the Prisons Department, besides shifting all financial and administrative control there.

The minister asked the DIG, headquarters, to immediately initiate formalisation of the decision by handing over 153 prisoner vans, the entire staff of the court police, & other logistics to the Prisons Department.

The minister also detailed SSP Ameen Yousuf Zai for 30 days in order to extend support in helping the Prison Department establish a workable environment, in addition to his own duties as SSP, Security, CCP. After one month, an independent officer would be posted as SSP to ensure the production of UTPs in the respective courts, he assured.