Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday criticised the Punjab Prisons Department over the deteriorating situation in jails and violation of prisoners’ rights.

The committee also directed the jail administrations in four provinces to change the food menu and wipe clean the record of prisoners who have been declared innocent by the court.

The Standing Committee members – let by Chairman Babar Nawaz Khan – visited Central Jail in Kot Lakhpat, Lahore, and met prisoners, including some foreigner and female prisoners.

The jail administration gave a detail briefing to the committee. The committee members then visited different sections of the facility and met different prisoners.

The committee directed the Punjab Prisons Department to ensure that all jails across the province were maintained as per the international standards. The committee also issued a number of directives for the prisons departments across the country.

It said that if a prisoner was found innocent, his/her jail record must be washed after releasing from jail.

It said that during the prisoners’ study in jail, their educational degrees should not show they were received in jail.

The committee members also told the administrations to review their Sunday’s food menu for prisoners and give pulses once a day instead of twice.

The committee directed all provincial directorates to get a copy of the software of the telephone facility given to prisoners at Kot Lakhpat, adding that the same project might be launched in all prisons of the country.

The committee also received applications from the prisoners to determine their financial needs and assist them in depositing the amounts of fines and ‘diyat’, enabling the release of deserving persons. The committee members also met some foreigner prisoners in the jail and listened to their problems.