Punjab prison rules being changed to give relief to prisoners, relatives

LAHORE: For the first time in the history of Punjab, those sentenced to death, life imprisonment and imprisonment of more than five years will be kept in district jails of their native areas.

Punjab Home Department has sent the summary to chief minister for amendment to Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978. Industry will be set up in each district jail of the province keeping in view local businesses, which include carpet manufacturing, woodworking, uniform sewing and women’s clothes.

Those sentenced to death, life imprisonment and more than five years imprisonment were kept for two to five years in the jails of their districts. After that they were shifted to Kot Lakhpat and Adiala jails and other central jails.

There were no arrangements in the district jails to take labour from prisoners who were sentenced with hard labour. They were transferred to central jails. Relatives had to travel hundreds of kilometres from their homes to visit them.

Sources said by shifting the prisoners to central jails, the number of inmates there would have doubled. It caused administrative and health challenges. Amendment to this law will benefit more than 5,000 prisoners in different jails of Punjab.

Camp Jail Lahore has capacity for 2,000 prisoners and detainees, but there are more than 6,000 inmates. Kot Lakhpat Jail has a capacity of 2,360 prisoners but is keeping 3,660 inmates. Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail has the capacity to hold 2,600, but there are over 6,500 prisoners. Jails are overcrowded with no sleeping space for inmates. Lack of washrooms makes prisoners hyper.

IG Prisons Punjab Mian Farooq Nazir said after an amendment to the law, problems like overcrowding in prisons will be solved. It will be easier for families of prisoners to meet them, he added.

The prisoners will be trained according to local trade in their native areas, he said. It will help them start employment after serving their sentences, he noted.