Daily Times

Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) had offered free specialised training to convicts in Punjab jails to produce the best quality skilled wood workers. Talking to Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig on Sunday,Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Furniture Council Mian Kashif Ashfaq offered totally free training package and discussed its modalities and scope of enhancement of cooperation between public and private sector. He said that at present Pakistan is facing acute shortage of highly skilled wood workers so we decided in principle to meet this alarming scarcity of artisans by training the convicts on modern scientific lines to meet market driven demands. He further offered that on successful completion of proper training, all convicts after release, will be absorbed in furniture manufacturing factories with good pay packages. Dr Waqar Ch Advisor PFC present on the occasion said “PFC may also consider offering reasonable good monthly stipend to all convicts trainees to attract maximum number of participants”. Mian Kashif Ashfaq said initially 6 months short duration course will be lunched in Central Jails of Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Rawaplindi and PFC will provide the top class trainers. He said special lectures will also be delivered on the importance of growing more and more useful trees to offset the hovering threat of climate change and meet wood needs of the country.