GILGIT, Sept 3: Security was beefed up at jails in Gilgit-Baltistan to avoid any untoward incident on Tuesday as eight prisoners were shifted from Gilgit prison to Ghizer jail.

“We have deployed law enforcement agencies around the jails and police have also been placed at the disposal of jail authorities to make it sure that inmates live in a peaceful atmosphere,” Inspector General of Prisoners Wasil Khan told Dawn.

He said that enhancing security of jails was need of the hour as most of the prisoners were accused of sectarian violence. He said paramilitary troops including GB scouts, Punjab Rangers and Frontier Constabulary were also deployed for security of jails because four incidents of jailbreak had taken place in the country.

“Since the capability of jail officials was not satisfactory thus we requested the government to provide us law enforcement agencies,” he said.

The IG said that the jail warders were without weapons and uniforms. “How can they perform duty in such circumstance,” he questioned.

He said the condition of the jails was not satisfactory as there was no central jail in the entire Gilgit-Baltistan. He said that dangerous prisoners were living with under-trial inmates in the jails.

The IG said that incomplete jails were handed over to them in Chilas, Ghizer, Astore and Skardu. All those buildings still needed a lot of work but the contractors didn’t bother to listen to them, he added.