Minister inspects Muzaffargarh jail

LAHORE: Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan paid a surprise visit to the District Jail Muzaffargarh to investigate the alleged incident of rape of a juvenile prisoner.

He questioned the inmates in the children's barracks. Expressing his views on the occasion, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said that IG Prisons Punjab Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig and DIG DG Khan Region have denied already the incident in their preliminary investigation report, conducted on the instructions of Minister for Prisons Punjab. The investigation carried out by jail administration, medical officer of the said district jail and the medical examination of the boy at DHQ Hospital Muzaffargarh also did not prove any occurrence of alleged rape.

Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said that this whole incident was a deliberate attempt to discredit the prison administration.

Instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar regarding prisoners are very clear, he said.

Inhuman and degrading treatment towards any prisoner or detainee will not be ignored, Minister Prisons said.

During the visit, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan also inspected the prison hospital, kitchen, children's barracks and sanitation arrangements. He spoke to all the staff, including the prison superintendent, and issued administrative instructions on the spot.