Committee for the Welfare of Prisoners – Legal Aid Office (CWP-LAO) is a privately managed, government funded, non-profit organization that works for the welfare of prisoners. It was established by the Government of Sindh as a pilot project in 2004 in the Women’s Prison in Karachi under the Chairpersonship of Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid.

Initially, the Committee was called “Committee for the Welfare of Women Prisoners Sindh (CWWP)” to provide legal assistance to women and juveniles. With time, the model scaled and the Committee’s terms of reference expanded to include male prison facilities in Sindh from 2011 onwards. With the continued support from the Home Department, Government of Sindh, CWP-LAO has expanded its outreach to 24 prisons as of 2022. The Committee remained functional until 2022 through a series of notifications issued by the Home Department, Government of Sindh and has recently been notified under Section 55 of Sindh Prisons and Corrections Services Act 2019. The Committee has spread its operations to provide legal aid, assistance and awareness in prisons in the districts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Dadu, Khairpur, Sanghar and Shaheed Benazirabad. The target audience of the interventions are underprivileged juveniles, adult male and female prisoners and children of incarcerated women across prisons in Sindh. Our focus remains on providing assistance to under trial prisoners who are in most cases implicated for first time offences.

The Committee provides a unique example of a public-private model which supports Sindh’s criminal justice system by advocating for speedy trials and case resolutions which in turn reduces the burden on an over-crowded and under-resourced prison system.

The Committee operates under the umbrella of the Provincial Government and its members include:-

1. Justice (Rtd) Nasir Aslam Zahid Chairman
2. Inspector General of Prisons Sindh Member
3. Additional Secretary (Prison), Home Department Government of Sindh Member
4. Additional Secretary Women Development Department Government of Sindh Member
5. Deputy Inspector General of Prisons(concerned Region) Member
6. Director Women Development, Sindh Member
7. Barrister Haya Emaan Zahid Secretary / Member

The main objective is to improve access to justice for prisoners and is built around the belief that free legal aid is a fundamental right, as well as the right to fair trial and representation before the court. The main objective of the CWP is to improve access to justice for prisoners and is built around the belief that free legal aid is a fundamental right, as well as the right to fair trial and representation before the court. The Committee is a successful example of a public-private partnership in Sindh.

Terms of Reference:

  • To provide legal awareness and legal empowerment to prisoners;

  • To provide free legal aid, advice and assistance to prisoners;

  • To work for the welfare of juvenile prisoners, women prisoners and children living with their mothers in prisons in the areas of education, health rehabilitation and livelihood support; and

  • To review laws, rules, regulations and policies related to prisoners and prisons and suggest repeal, amendment or new legislation if needed.