LHC forms commission on new jails

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Friday showed displeasure over the Punjab government for failing to furnish a progress report pertaining to construction of new jails in the province and formed a commission to review the new jails projects.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan was hearing a public interest petition moved by a civil society member, Rida Qazi. The petitioner has sought treatment of prisoners according to Pakistan Prisoners Code (Jail Manual) and construction of new jails in the province.

Previously, the judge had constituted a committee to ensure that the development work being conducted for the jails in Hafizabad, Narowal, Shujabad, Rajanpur and Khanewal was completed within two months.

Advocate General of Punjab Shakilur Rehman Khan headed the committee while DIG (Prisons), additional secretaries of home, communication & works, planning & development and finance departments were its members. Petitioner’s counsel Syed Moazzam Ali Shah was also a member of the committee. However, the judge learned that no progress had been made in the under-construction jails projects. The judge noted that the committee had not held its meeting for the last six months to oversee the projects. Justice Khan observed that the prisons’ population was on the rise constantly but not a single jail project had been completed during the last 10 years. The judge appointed senior lawyer Waqas Qadeer Dar as local commission and directed him to inspect progress of the new jails projects. The judge also directed the government to appoint female doctors in jails for women and children prisoners. The government was also ordered to ensure that the barracks of women and men in the jails should be segregated. The judge adjourned hearing for two weeks. The petitioner had asked the court to issue directions for treatment of the prisoners according to Pakistan Prisoners Code (Jail Manual) and shifting of the inmates in the jails beyond their capacity.