LAHORE: The Punjab home department has operationalised “prison welfare stores” in all nine central jails in the province, where inmates can buy items of daily use at “affordable prices”.

Task Force on Prisons chairman Rana Manan Khan and Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi inaugurated a Prison Welfare Store at Central Jail Lahore on Thursday.

The chairman was informed that 74 essential items were available at affordable prices in the Prison Welfare Store.

The store offers bakery items, beverages, kitchen items, and hygiene products, etc.

The facility will be extended to all prisons of the province during ongoing month

The officials say that the entire purchase process is recorded and monitored through centralised ‘Point of Sale’ software, that stores complete details of inmates, purchased items and prices. At the welfare centre, inmates can purchase items online using a tab, through biometric verification, using their bank accounts, they say.

The inmates have expressed satisfaction with the facility provided by the home department.

Speaking on the occasion, Khan said the prison reforms are among the top priorities of the chief minister and added that the government is taking exemplary steps to turn jails into reform centres.

He directed that no item should be sold above the retail price in the market.

Dr Qazi said the welfare stores would go operational in all jails across Punjab within this month. He said the welfare stores are being managed by the Punjab Prisons Foundation and the entire purchase process is being monitored through CCTV cameras.

He said the samples of all food items were checked by the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority laboratory, which declared that all items were of standard quality.

He said that an audit officer has been appointed to ensure financial transparency in the welfare stores affairs.

Prisons Inspector General Mian Farooq Nazir said the welfare stores would be run on a no-profit, no-loss basis. He said all items would be available at market rates.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026