LAHORE, Aug 29: The Punjab government has decided to post armymen at the high-security prisons being set up in the four major cities of the province.

Citing a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi held in July, an official order issued by the additional secretary prisons says: "The services of serving majors shall be requisitioned from the GHQ for posting at these maximum security blocks."

The meeting had decided to set up the four maximum security prisons in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan to deal with the sectarian accused and other outlaws involved in terrorism. "The main focus of this project is to secure maximum security during trials of terrorists besides ensuring smooth law and order for their stay at various jails."

Either altogether four new prisons would be built or new blocks to be established in the existing set-up of the central jails of the four cities. Asking provincial communication and works department, the official order said the construction of the four jails would be completed within four months.

It wanted the planning and development department to approve the plan and refer it to the quarters concerned, including its chairman, the Punjab home secretary and the provincial chief of prisons department.

The order says in addition to the existing security system, more electronic equipment will be installed in and around the new blocks, and use of cell phones on these premises would be averted by all means. "All contacts of the sectarian accused and men of other jehadi groups in the prisons would be identified."

The superintendents of jails will send names and whereabouts of the blood relations desiring to meet sectarian prisoners 10 days prior to their interview by Crimes Investigation Department (CID) and Punjab police special branch.

Besides the Pakistan armymen, the order says, personnel of the prison department will be posted at the high-security barracks. "Professional personnel of the department will have to undergo proper screening before posting and they will be under the direct command of IG prisons."

The order has been conveyed to the Punjab government secretaries of finance department, home department, communication and works, Punjab police IG, Punjab prison department IG, the CID's additional IG and Punjab police special branch additional IG.

Addressing them, the order quotes the Punjab prison department additional secretary as: "I am directed to request you to please intimate present status of the action taken by you on the directions mentioned above."

Meanwhile, sources in the Punjab home department say that the decision to set up the high-security blocks has been taken in view of the local and foreign terrorists detained recently by law enforcers in the province and elsewhere in the country.

A complete review of the prisons had found that it lacked proper security system to meet the requirements for their trial and movements, they say. Video trials are also part of the project, the source said and added that the Lahore district and sessions judge last week held a mock demonstration of this kind of first ever trial in Pakistan.

For this purpose, they said, cameras plugged with a communication system had been set up at Lahore central jail, which would be displayed on screens in the court rooms.