Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed to introduce feasible amendments in the Punjab Probation and Parole Act adding that the budgetary requirement be ensured for healthy meals to captives.

He issued the directives while chairing a meeting to review different aspects of the prisons package and the pace of jails reforms in the province. Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, ACS (Home), IG (Prisons), SMU head, and others attended the meeting.

Usman Buzdar said that expedient recommendations should be compiled to get rid of the menace of torture and inhuman treatment. The cable networking be completed early so that the inmates could watch PTV News, PTV Home, and other entertainments channels, he added.

The chief minister expressed satisfaction over the recruitment of 44 psychologists and was directed to finalize the prisons package without delay.

The meeting was told that recruitment of 1037 jail staff has been started. The CM has given in-principle approval to recruit 4930 wardens and also instructed to fill vacant posts of doctors and paramedics for different jails. It has also been decided in principle to improve the service structure of jails staff.

The CM was informed that the inmates could lodge their grievances during calls by pressing the code. Action has been initiated on 489 accusations and 705 inquiries have been held over unlawful acts gleaned through video monitoring of jails. Similarly, PMIS has been enforced in 21 jails while the same would be introduced in 22 other prisons.

Dysfunctional fans have been replaced in Multan jail after CM's inspection while washrooms and kitchen have been repaired along with the provision of a water cooler facility. Likewise, ceiling and exhaust fans have been installed and 85 toilets have been repaired in DG Khan jail. Furthermore, 100 fans have also been installed in Sialkot jail after the inspection of the chief minister, the meeting informed.