MULTAN, Dec 30: The Punjab government is considering a proposal to rename jails as ‘darul islah’ (reform houses), says a provincial minister.

Speaking at a press conference at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz District President Allah Nawaz Durani here on Tuesday, Punjab Prisons Minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor said there was a capacity of 31,000 prisoners in 32 jails of the province, but 61,000 prisoners were being kept there.

The minister said about 6,000 drug addicts were imprisoned in these jail and the government had decided to release them after their complete treatment. He said prisoners who were imprisoned for nonpayment of their minor fines would be released soon. He said the superintendent would be removed from service if drugs were found with any prisoner of his jail. He said torture on prisoners had been banned.

Ghafoor said committees were being formed to look after prisoners and provide them better facilities, adding that these committees would consist of journalists, lawyers, doctors, political workers and representatives of welfare organisations.—Staff Correspondent