PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan inaugurated the new building of the Peshawar’s Central Prison on Wednesday.

The building put up in five years at a cost of Rs1.5 billion has the capacity to hold 2,356 prisoners.

A statement issued here revealed that the old jail built in 1854 could accommodate 450 prisoners only.

The chief minister said the prison congestion not only led to security issues but it also caused the health of prisoners to deteriorate.

He directed the prison department to plan comprehensive reforms for jails across the province.

CM announces upgradation of posts, orders jail reforms

Inspector general (prison) Masoodur Rehman said the construction of offices and accommodation for staff of Peshawar jail was under way.

He said small industries would be established at 91,000 square feet area of the new jail for imparting technical skills and providing livelihood opportunities to prisoners.

On the occasion, the chief minister criticised the opposition saying the recent demonstration of the JUI-F workers in front of his residence in hometown, Swat, was a weak political stunt to mislead people.

He said the JUI-F had thrown all political norms to the wind and was desperately attempting to get back to parliament.

Mr Mahmood also announced two months relaxation in the sentences of prisoners throughout the province excluding prisoners involved in terrorist activities as well as the upgradation of various posts of the prison department, those of assistant superintendent jail from BPS-14 to BPS-16, chief warder’s from BPS-9 to BPS-11, head warder from BPS-7 to BPS-9, warder from BPS-5 to BPS-7, gatekeeper BPS-3 to BPS-11, drill instructor from BPS-3 to BPS-11, armour’s from BPS-3 to BPS-7 and band master from BPS-3 to BPS-7.

The ceremony was also attended by revenue minister Shakeel Khan, adviser on merged districts Ajmal Wazir and others.

Also in the day, the chief minister along with Governor Shah Farman visited the site of the Warsak Canal Remodeling Project.

The officials told visitors that the irrigation department was remodeling Warsak canals in Peshawar and Nowshera districts at the cost of Rs11.1 billion, while Rs4.6 billion had so far been spent on the project.

The chief minister said the project would resolve the longstanding issue of water shortage in Ouch canal and ensure the availability of enough water to irrigate thousands of acres in Koh-i-Daman area of Peshawar.

He promised necessary funding for the project.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2019