HARIPUR, Feb 29: Federal Minister for Women Development and Special Education Barrister Shahida Jamil has said that the government was laying stress on the education of prisoners particularly juveniles and women inmates, so that they could be transformed into productive citizens of the society. This, she said, while speaking to the jail inmates during her visit to Haripur jail here on Friday.

Senior Superintendent Malik Fakhr-e-Aalam Khan, Deputy Superintendent Mian Anwar Kakakhel, assistant superintendents Muhammad Naeem Khan and Ms Fozia Naz Elahi and officials of different NGOs were also present on the occasion.

She said that education plays a pivotal role in character building of a person especially those who end up in jail. Shahida Jamil said that besides religious education the inmates should also be imparted with education in science subjects. For this purpose, she promised to supply history, fiction and entertainment books, besides audio and video material related to different science subjects along with related aids to the jail library.

The federal minister also agreed to the suggestion of launching of a jail journal for the purpose of educating the inmates. She promised to extend her support to help materialise the idea which was forwarded by a prisoner namely Sohail Fida who had recently did his masters in International Relations from the death cell.

Earlier, she took a round of school at the women section of the jail, which was being run by Human Development Organisation.

Barrister Shahida was briefed about the syllabus being taught to the women prisoners and their accompanying children. The federal minister also visited the skill development centre of Aurat Foundation, Bait-ul-Maal department, Dost Foundation, library, computer centre and school for juvenile prisoners and expressed her satisfaction over the services provided for the prisoners by the NGOs and the jail administration.

Earlier, Malik Fakhr-e-Aalam Khan briefed the minister about the strength of male and female prisoners and the facilities provided to them by the jail authorities.