Prisons in Punjab still lack basic facilities

Judicial commission’s report identifies shortcomings in jail operations

ISLAMABAD: A high court-appointed judicial commission on jail standards has pointed out numerous missing facilities in six prisons in Punjab.

In its report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the judicial commission identifies several shortcomings in jail operations, including lack of electricity, gas and maintenance.

The Lahore High Court had reconstituted on Feb 9 the commission, which is headed by former prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Waqas Qadeer Dar.

The commission was ordered to visit six prisons in the province. They were jails in Shujaabad, Khanewal, Lodhran, Sargodha, Rajanpur, and the high security prison in Mianwali.

Following the submission of the report, the LHC ordered the Punjab government to ensure the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.

The LHC issued the directions while hearing a petition, moved by Rida Qazi, aimed at improving the conditions prevailing in jails and to provide proper space and cells according to humanitarian requirement.



During the course of hearings, presided by Justice Farrukh Irfan, since the petition was filed in 2010, another commission had earlier visited and submitted recommendations for at least five jails in the province, following which the jails were upgraded in 2014.

Latest report

After inspecting the six prisons, the commission submitted a report that identifies shortcomings in the jail operations, including lack of electricity, gas and maintenance.

As per the report, the commission at the Shujaabad sub-jail found that there was no gas connection in the premises. It noted that the jail was in working condition but had shortage of medical staff, sanitary workers, cooks and technicians. “During the inspection, it was also observed that the electric light system along with the main wall and jail colony is deficient,” reads the report.

The newly-constructed District Jail Rajanpur, with a capacity of approximately 1,000 prisoners, was found to be “very well managed”, according to the report.

“However, shortage of paramedical staff, patrolling vehicle and lack of an X-ray machine was noted.”



It said that in two schools (for boys and girls separately), there was no teaching staff or furniture available. The team was informed that the opening of school was subject to the approval of the province’s education department.

The construction work at District Jail Lodhran had been halted due to a shortage of funds as non-payment to contractors had led to work being suspended, it said, adding that the project, which started in June 2009, had already run past its completion date which was June 2017.

During a visit to the District Khanewal Jail, the commission saw that the women and juvenile wards were not built. The construction of inside and outside wall for patrolling, residence of superintendent jail, installations of razor-cut wire were among the lacking amenities, it said.

The school buildings were completed but teaching staff and furniture were missing, the report said.

Lack of maintenance remained an issue at District Jail Sargodha, which was established in the year 1910, it said.

Upon inquiry, it was revealed that tenders worth Rs500,000 were already floated for its maintenance, the report said.

At the high-security prison in Mianwali, it was observed that the scope of work was more or less completed while additional work was also near completion, the report added.