LAHORE, Nov 9: Authorities in Punjab continued shifting lawyers and political activists to jails in cities other than their hometowns on Friday apparently to create problems for their relatives to meet them.

The detention or arrest of hundreds of lawyers and political activists put an additional burden on the overcrowded jails in Punjab, forcing the authorities to make alternate arrangements in government rest houses.

According to unconfirmed reports, 100 activists were detained or arrested on Thursday, putting the total figure to 750. This was in addition to 500 lawyers who were already behind the bars.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Asma Jahangir and lawyer Dr Basit have been detained in their residences declared sub-jails. Two sub-jails have also been declared at Mansoora where Jamaat-i-Islami leaders are being kept.

Inspector General (Jails) Sarfraz Mufti informed Dawn on telephone the total number of the detained or arrested people in Punjab jails was 1,100 by Friday morning.

It is learnt that two detainees were released on the directions of the provincial Home Department after the confirmation that they had heart problems.

Unconfirmed reports say 21 political activists were arrested in Lahore on Friday. The total number of the people arrested or detained was over 3,000 and many of them were kept in police stations, independent reports confirmed.

The number of imprisoned people in 32 Punjab jails reportedly swelled to 59,050 as against their capacity of 21, 527 people, forcing the jail authorities to work overtime to adjust those detained after the imposition of emergency in the country, Dawn learnt.

Only four people were given A class while 317 B class. The rest of the detained or arrested people, mainly educated, have been kept with convicts or those facing trial.

The IG admitted that the jails were overcrowded but said political activists and lawyers were being treated well because they were not criminals.

He said in addition to jail medical officers, doctors were also checking all the political activists and lawyers so as to provide them with necessary medical assistance, and to confirm whether they had some health problem or not.

He said lawyers and activists were not being kept with common prisoners because they were educated people and they were being given better class under orders by the Home Department. —Staff Reporter