QUETTA: Security has been tightened in and around all eleven prisons in Balochistan in the aftermath of the federal government's decision to lift a moratorium on death sentences across the country.

Sources in Balochistan Prisons Department told Dawn.com that four prisons including district jail Quetta, Khuzdar, Gaddani and Mach were declared sensitive in the province.

The number of prisoners sentenced to death in Balochistan was 97, out of which 14 had filed a mercy petition before President Mamnoon Hussain, they said.

Most of the prisoners with death sentences were imprisoned in Mach and District Jail Quetta.

Apart from police and Balochistan Constabulary, Frontier Crops personnel were also deployed in and around jails to avoid any jail break or terror-related incident in the province.

Police backed by FC, launched a joint search operation in Quetta Jail to avert any untoward incident.

Security forces also recovered mobile sims and other items from the possession of some prisoners, sources said.

They stated that the number of inmates in Balochistan jails was more than 3,000 and that foreigners were also among them.