High security prison in Mardan opened

MARDAN: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday inaugurated high security prison in the district and ordered to convert the old district jail into a modern family recreational park.
The new jail was constructed on 324 kanals at a cost of Rs1729.199 million. It can accommodate 2,200 prisoners and has security arrangements for 62 prisoners.Provincial Minister for Education Muhammad Atif Khan, Advisor to Chief Minister for Jails Malik Qasim Khan, District Development Advisory Committee Chairman Mardan Iftikhar Mashwani, MPAs Muhammad Zahid Durrani, Obaidullah Mayar, Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Additional Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs department, inspector general prisons, commissioner Mardan Division and others were also present on the occasion.
The chief minister appreciated the provision of necessary and modern facilities at the jail as well as standard of its construction.He, however, was dissatisfied over deputation of untrained IT and other staff to operate the security system and ordered to upgrade the system by training the staff and installing high power security equipment that could bring the jail on a par with international standards.
He ordered to take whatever measures were required for making the security system foolproof. The chief minister asked the authorities concerned to shift the inmates from old district jail to the new building as soon as possible and dismantle the building of the old prison that was in a dilapidated condition and build a modern park on the land.
During another briefing about the uplift and beautification of Mardan city, the chief minister expressed concerned over delay in rehabilitation and reconstruction of the three parks and issued orders to remove impediment for their early completion.
They included the Jail Park, Gujjar Garhi Park and Sheikh Maltoon Town park.Pervez Khattak directed the relevant authorities to provide most modern facilities and recreational installations in the parks.
Later, talking to reporters, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the security system of the prison was being upgraded to detect prohibited articles in possession of the prisoners.To a question, he said that Mardan’s uplift and beautification project had been initiated.