Government to install jammers at 21 Punjab jails

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to installed cellular phone jammers at remaining 21 jails of the province in the second phase at an estimated cost of Rs. 470 million, The News has learnt.
The documents revealed that the home secretary submitted a summary to the chief minister Punjab requesting him to release the funds for purchasing 103 jammers from the National Radio and Production, a sister organisation of Pakistan Army. It has been stated that Rs. five billion were earmarked as block allocation for the law and order during the current fiscal year. It has been requested that the supplementary grant amounting to Rs. 260.45 million should be released from the funds which had been surrendered by the police.
It is worth mentioning that in the first phase the cellular phone jammers had been installed at 14 jails of the province to check theuse of cellular phones by prisoners. However, Public Booth Offices (PCOs) have been installed at 11 jails, so that prisoners can talk to their family members.
The latest jammers will have the capacity to block the 3-G and 4-G services, while jammers, already installed at 14 jails, had not the capacity to jam 3-G and 4-G services. These jammers will also be upgraded to jam the latest technology. Moreover, technical staff will also be appointed to take care of these jammers.
At present around 51,000 prisoners are detained in 35 prisons of the province. The per annum average turnout of prisoners remained 50,000. The Punjab home department and jail authorities took concrete steps to stop the use of cellular phone by prisoners. The jail authorities conducted surprised visits and seized 6,500 mobile phones, 1,280 SIMs and 1,410 chargers during the last two years. Moreover, action has been taken against 151 employees of various jails under the PEDA Act for providing assistance to prisoners for keeping cellular phones.