LAHORE - Under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Punjab Home Department has introduced a groundbreaking prison reform policy. Convicted prisoners will now be relocated to jails in their respective home districts to ease the burden on central prisons and address the difficulties faced by prisoners’ families. A high-powered committee has been formed to devise a detailed mechanism for implementing the policy. The committee, which includes senior officials such as the Deputy Secretary (Prisons) of the Home Department, DIG Prisons Sargodha Region, DIG Prisons DG Khan Region, and other key representatives, has been tasked with submitting its recommendations within seven days.
Spokesperson for Home Department Punjab told the media on Saturday that previously, prisoners serving sentences of over five years were housed in central jails, often far from their families. This arrangement caused significant financial and logistical challenges for families traveling long distances to meet their loved ones. Prompted by numerous complaints from affected families, Secretary Home Punjab Noorul Amin Mengal took the initiative to propose this transformative policy change and constituted a committee. The reform is expected to alleviate overcrowding in central jails and enhance security in district jails, which have been upgraded to accommodate additional inmates. It was noted that death row inmates are already being housed in their respective district jails, and now similar provisions will be extended to those serving sentences of more than five years.
District jails have also been equipped with industrial facilities, enabling prisoners to engage in labor as part of their sentences. This policy shift not only improves living conditions for inmates but also ensures greater convenience for families wishing to meet them.
Meanwhile, Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has released another Rs. 1.8 million to police employees and their families for treatment of serious diseases.
According to the details, Telecommunication Punjab Constable Shakeel Ahmed was given Rs. 0.5 million for treatment. ASI Imran Khalid released Rs. 0.2 million for open heart surgery, wife of ASI Babar Hayat and sub-inspector Zahoor Ahmed. received Rs. 0.1 million each for medical expenses. The families of Head Constable Abdul latif Khan and Constable Lutfullah were given Rs. 0.1 million each for medical expenses, Head Constable Muhammad Yousaf and Driver constable Muhammad Arshad received Rs. 0.1 million each for medical expenses. Constable Saeed Ahmad and Constable Muhammad Yasin’s wife were given Rs. 0.1 million each for medical expenses, Constable Muhammad Shoaib from Multan received Rs. 0.1 million for psychological treatment while Sub-Inspector Abdul Sattar, Constable Riaz Hussain and Constable Muhammad Iqbal received Rs. 1.5 million for various diseases.
