National News

PESHAWAR, (MILLAT ONLINE):Overcrowding in jails of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a big challenge
before PTI led government to overcome and the provincial government was not oblivious
of its obligations to address this lingering issue on sound footing, said KP CM
advisor on Prisons, Malik Qasim Khan here on Thursday.
In
an exclusive talk with APP here, Malik Qasim mentioned scores of schemes and
uplift projects initiated by the KP government during last four years to
improve the overall conditions of the jails and its inmates through various jails
reforms besides addressing the chronic issue overcrowding.
The
KP’s jails reforms mainly focused on overcoming problems of overcapacity in the
central jails of the province that included improving standard of food menu and
hygienic conditions to provide better living conditions to imamates, he
explained.
However,
he said still a lot has to be done to make the jails’
welfare oriented for the prisoners so that
they could become good citizens after completion of their jail terms.
To
address problem of overcrowding in jails, he said new jails and blocks in old central
jails in different districts of the province were being constructed besides
computerization of jail and prisoners record for quick disposal of cases.
Malik
Qasim said first phase of construction new jail in Peshawar has been completed
would be opened in next month.
Under
the first phase, he said, new blocks in central jail Peshawar were constructed
that would enhance accommodation capacity for inmates to 3000 from existing
425.
Work
on the second and third phases would start soon under which residential
quarters, guard rooms and offices for employees of Central Jail Peshawar would be
constructed.
Malik
Qasim said Pakistan’s first high security prison having three-layered security
had been constructed in Mardan and high profile prisoners of Central Jail
Peshawar, Lower Dir and Swat were shifted to it.
The Prison
Force of KP was equipped with latest gadgets and equipments to ward off any
eventuality besides bolstering security of jails. The overall performance of
prison force has been improved and confidence of masses were restored.
Zero
tolerance against corruption was adopted in Prison Department and policy of
punishment and reward system was introduced.
High security zones and cells in different jails
of KP were also being constructed to keep high profile prisoners separate from
other prisoners. These high security zones and cells are being set up at six
sensitive jails in Mardan, Timergara, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat and Karak.
Work on central jail in Abbtottabad were almost
completed where hardcore prisoners in Manshera, Haripur and others jails would
be shifted to it to overcome problem of overcrowding.
Construction
of central jail in Swat has been planned and work on it would be started soon
while expansion work in Dera Ismail Khan Prison was almost completed, he
maintained.
Computerization
of Jails record has been started and all the data of prisoners of Central Jail Peshawar
were computerized, he added.
A
state-of-the-art Training Academy was setup in Haripur for provision of
training and capacity building of Prison Department Force, he explained.
He
said an Oil Refinery was being setup in Karak district to fully exploit the
natural resources in southern districts of the province. The project will be
completed at an estimated cost of sixty two billion rupees in two years with a
capacity to refine 40,000 barrels oil per day.
Two small
reservoirs projects were completed in Loighar and Latambar in PK-41 to address
problem of drinking water in Karak besides construction of two colleges at
Shingodikhel and Latambar and 23 primary schools in PK-41 constituency.
To
provide better communication facilities to people, he said 38 kilometers long
road that would connect Mianwali and Karak was completed and market to access
roads would provide better income to farmers.
He
said these projects would help improve socio-economic conditions of masses
besides generating jobs opportunities for youth and promoting industrialization
and business activities in southern districts of KP.