Jail Superintendent Ijaz Asghar says there are 4,000 prisoners including 128 females
By Bareera Asif
LAHORE: A delegation of 10 students from the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), University of the Punjab, visited Lahore Central Jail on Wednesday to witness the facilities being provided to the prisoners by the jail authorities.
Dr. Waqar Chaudhary, an ICS professor, managed the visit as part of his class activity to train the students of MSc Development Journalism on collection of information through observation and questions in order to write good articles, features and columns based on such data.
Central Jail Superintendent Ijaz Asghar briefed the students that the jail was established in 1969 and currently there were 4,000 prisoners including 128 females.
The students witnessed the captive prisoners were being provided with basic facilities. The food was not only hygienic but also scrumptious. Medical officers and the superintendent check food before serving.
The delegation was told that about 1800 to 2,000 unpaid prisoners were working in the Central Jail. The imprisonment of the captives will be reduced (five days a month) as reward of heir working in jailhouse.
Hospitals and doctors’ facility was also deployed for treatment of prisoners.
Several types of three month courses were being offered to the captives by Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) including women’s beauty and designing, electrician and motor winding for male prisoners. After the completion of courses they are also given certificates.
There is also a factory to prepare handicrafts by prisoners, a library with a variety of books to quench the quest for reading while a separate area for sports add to the leisure time facilities.
The superintendent also said that a dining hall was being constructed in the area designated for women prisoners, while a motorcycle workshop was also being constructed, which will be soon inaugurated by the chief minister.
A student namely Mahrukh Nadeem presented some sweaters and clothes to the female prisoners.
In the end, Dr. Waqar Chaudhry formally appreciated the services of the jail superintendent and thanked him as well as other staff for their all-out cooperation during the study visit of students.