LAHORE, Jan 13: The Punjab government is constituting a committee to suggest measures to free women and juvenile prisoners languishing in prisons for lack of legal assistance.

Punjab Minister for Social Welfare will head the committee. The minister called on Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi here on Tuesday to decide modalities for the committee which would explore the possibilities of providing legal assistance to the women and juvenile prisoners so that they could be released.

Official sources said the committee would also suggest on how to provide maximum relief to women prisoners and their children, and the juvenile prisoners in the province.

They said the government was also considering to introduce new legislation to regulate NGOs in the province and to resolve problems of women and children. There were certain issues relating to women rights which needed to be resolved through a proper legal cover, they said.

They said the government was also considering to establish Darul Amaan (shelter homes) for homeless women, and to eliminate beggary. Special measures were also being taken to smash gangs which force children to beg, especially after deforming their limbs.

Meanwhile, Adviser Jehangir Tarin called on the chief minister and discussed with him reforms in the health, education, industrial and agriculture sectors. During the meeting, they reportedly exchanged views on the speedy implementation of the reforms programme for these sectors.