LAHORE, Mar 20 (APP):Punjab Secretary Home Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi on Friday inaugurated a Prison Welfare Store at Central Jail Lahore, providing prisoners access to essential items at subsidized rates ahead of Eid.
Prison welfare store inaugurated at Central Jail Lahore ahead of Eid
LAHORE, Mar 20 (APP):Punjab Secretary Home Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi on Friday inaugurated a Prison Welfare Store at Central Jail Lahore, providing prisoners access to essential items at subsidized rates ahead of Eid.
The store offers 74 items of daily use, including bakery products, beverages, kitchen supplies and hygiene goods. During the visit, inmates purchased items of their choice, while the secretary extended Eid greetings to them, with prisoners expressing visible happiness.
Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi directed that similar Prison Welfare Stores be established in jails across Punjab, adding that the initial management would be handled by the Punjab Prison Foundation. He emphasized strict monitoring of the purchasing process through CCTV cameras, while inmates would complete transactions via biometric verification linked to their bank accounts using online tablets.
He further instructed that no item should be sold above the market retail price and ordered that samples of all food items be sent to Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (PAFDA) for quality testing.
The secretary also confirmed that arrangements for Eid prayers and meetings between prisoners and their families had been finalized across the province.
Special Secretary Home Fazal-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary Prisons Ruman Buranah, DIG Mohsin Rafiq and Superintendent Jail Ijaz Asghar accompanied the secretary during the visit.
