VEHARI - The jammers installed at District Jail Vehari to stop the usage of mobile phones by the inmates are adversely affecting the cellular companies’ services in its surrounding localities as well.

The residents of Lala Zaar Colony, Muslim Town and Chaudhry Gardens said that they had decided to move the court against the jail mismanagement. The jail is situated near the populous area of the city. Now, various residential housing societies have been established in the surrounding areas of the jail. The local residents complained to cellular companies about the disturbance.

There are more than 500 houses near the District Jail facing inconvenience by the jammers, said Waheedullah who lives about a 1 kilometre away from the jail and has been receiving poor cellular services for the last one year. “Whenever someone tries to contact me, he or she finds my mobile phone switched off. The new 3G services are also beyond my reach because of poor or no signals since the launch of the jammers,” he said.

Masood Zafar, another citizen, said that he had complained to officials of cellular companies but to no avail.

Likewise, the police lines area is also affected by the jammers. At the police lines, the officials of police and Elite Force remain available to fight any untoward incident.

Jail Superintendent Syed Babar Hussain Shah said the jammers covered only the jail area and installed near the barracks of criminals involved in sectarian and heinous crimes. “If the locality is facing some issues due to jammers we will consult our technical team to get the inconvenience away,” he said.

Ch Kashif, spokesman of a cellular company, told The Nation, “A large number of people living in the surroundings of the prison is unable to use phones as jammers block their incoming and outgoing calls and also effect internet speed. Peoples of the area demanded to minimise the range of jammers as per the law and instructions.