LAHORE: Up to 1,000 jail warders and 35 assistant superintendents of jail (ASJs) joined on Nov 20 a three-month basic training in Azad Kashmir Artillery Regimental Centre, Attock.

A senior jail official told Dawn the training was for those joining the proposed external security wing of the Punjab Prisons Department to safeguard jails from terror threats and jailbreaks.

The four-phase training covers 4,000 jail officials and by December 2015 will cost the provincial exchequer Rs91 million, of which Rs50 million have already been paid to the centre for weapon firing expense, boarding and lodging of officials.

He said the three-month course was the first-ever practical course for jail staff. Earlier, 2,400 jail officials ranking from warders to senior superintendents of jail had got a one-month training of weapon handling only at the centre.

He said as the department was planning to establish external security wings in 32 jails and newly constructed jails in Okara, Bhakkar, Layyah and Pakpattan and High Security Prison of Sahiwal, the trained warders and ASJs would secure external security of jails in the future.

The official said trainees would learn about using LMG, G- 3 Rifle, sniper riffle and pistol besides weapon handling, parade, drills, musketry, armed combat patrolling with arms duty and standing armed duty.

Weapons, magazines and bullets would be provided by the center, he added.

He said Rs78 million would be spent on boarding and lodging while Rs13 million would be spent on magazines and bullets.

The official added the prisons department would be the first in the province which would get standardized military training.

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014