Hafizabad prison to house inmates from Lahore

Over 1,000 prisoners were shifted after confirmation of coronavirus cases in district jail

LAHORE: In wake of worsening situation due to COVID-19 pandemic and lack of sufficient facilities, the authorities have decided to shift 250 more prisoners from Lahore to Hafizabad jail.

The Lahore District Jail reportedly has at least 49 positive and 150 suspected COVID-19 cases. The figures have risen sharply since the first prisoner infected by new coronavirus was confirmed in the last week of March. The patient was booked in a drugs case and had returned to the country from Italy.

As the situation started getting out of control, the authorities shifted 1,059 inmates to Hafizabad.

An attempt to flee by five prisoners during the transfer was also reported. The prisoners reportedly had pried open the floor of the prisoners’ van.



After receiving the test results confirming the coronavirus cases, the Lahore District Jail superintendent asked the authorities to not send new inmates to the prison because of insufficient health facilities there.

The official cited insufficient health facilities in the district jail after 49 inmates tested positive in addition to over 150 suspected patients.

The first confirmed coronavirus infection case of an inmate in Lahore was reported last month, of a man arrested on drug smuggling charges. He had recently returned from Italy.

After realisation of the need to ensure steps to stop the spread of the pandemic, officials of the health department briefed jail authorities about the preventive measures. Quarantine centres were also set up. The jail authorities had written to Lahore police to ensure that released prisoners would not mingle with people and would stay at home for at least two weeks.

The jail authorities since then had been sharing the list of those released from prisons with the police.



A few days back, four more prisoners tested positive for the virus. The jail authorities took a policy decision on the issue and asked Lahore police to test new prisoners for COVID-19 before sending them to the prison. The Munshi, Mayo and Jinnah hospitals were assigned by the authorities for the purpose.

However, on Monday more test results came and 49 prisoners were found suffering from COVID-19. The high figure and its growth from one to 49 in just two weeks forced the authorities to go for more  a stringent a step and the superintendent of District Jail had asked the authorities to send new inmates to the Central Jail

Moreover, on Tuesday a video link training session and meeting of jail authorities, home department and health department was held. The meeting was chaired by Punjab Home Affairs Special Secretary Iqbal Hussain. It was attended by Jails Additional Secretary Zeeshan Rana, IG Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig and Deputy Secretary Awais Mushtaq. The DIGs, superintendents and medical staff of all the jails across Punjab also joined the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2020.