No late night bar on Pakistan prison Cup viewers
Abdul Waheed
WORLD CUP: Authorities in one of Pakistan's biggest jails are letting
football-mad inmates, including hundreds of foreigners, stay up late to
watch World Cup soccer matches.
Prisoners in Landhi jail in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, are
usually only allowed to watch television until 11 p.m. (1900 GMT) but
the rule has been dropped for the World Cup.
"Prisoners are provided with cable television in a designated area.
Some are very keen to watch the matches as their countries are playing
in it. We've allowed some relaxation," said the superintendent of the
prison, Anwar Mustafa told reporters.
The jail has 643 foreign inmates, most of them serving time for drug
offences.
Inmates at Karachi's main women's prison have also caught World Cup
fever, and they too are being allowed to stay up late, said warder,
Bashiran Bibi.
"They watch intensely and cheer every goal. They seem to forget their
problems," Bashiran said of her charges who include three women from
Ghana, one from Germany and six from Ivory Coast.
KARACHI, Wednesday (Reuters) - |