HARIPUR, Nov 27: Classes of non-formal education for women prisoners and their accompanying children were started at Haripur Central Prison here on Monday.

The prison’s Senior Superintendent, Malik Fakhr-i-Alam Khan, inaugurated the classes and recreational facilities for children of women prisoners. Deputy Superintendent Mian Anwar Khan and Incharge women section Assistant Superintendent Ms Foziz Naz Elahi were present on this occasion.

The classes have been arranged and slides, seesaws and swings installed in the vicinity of women section of the jail by the Human Development Organization (HDO).

Speaking on the occasion Mr Fakhr-i-Alam said that lack of education among women was main reason of their involvement in different crimes while educated mothers were symbol of civilised society. Women prisoners, he said, should draw maximum benefit from the HDO-sponsored program, not only for themselves but also for their children who needed to be groomed into law-abiding and useful citizens.

Sadaqat Khan, executive director of HDO and its partner organization Civil Society Human and Institutional Program (CHIP), said under the program titled Access of Women Prisoners and Children to their Legal Rights, women inmates would also be properly educated on their legal rights from police station to jail. He said jail staff, regular police, media people, prayer leaders, local bodies representatives and human rights workers would also be sensitised on violation of women’s legal rights.

Ms Foziz Naz Elahi, Assistant Program Coordinator HDO Ms Foziz Aziz, Miss Bushra and Ms Aneela Latif were among those who also addressed the gathering.

Later the superintendent jail distributed course books among women prisoners and their children and inaugurated recreational facilities for children.