KASUR, Jan 30: The Kasur District Jail established in 1929 is said to be the oldest in the province.

The district jail is overcrowded as it houses 1,522 prisoners as against its capacity of only 444. Among them are nine children, 18 women with four infants and 1,491 men.

Out of 1,491 men, 272 are convicts while 1,291 under-trial prisoners. A nine-year-old boy has been in jail for the last two years while 85-year-old Sardar Ali is the oldest prisoner.

Jail Deputy Superintendent Sheikh Shahid Naseem said one Indian and two Bangladeshi prisoners were also in jail.

He said he had sent a letter to the high-ups for the construction of more barracks and 32 cells to accommodate the prisoners. As of now, a sum of Rs7.5 million out of Rs15 million had been approved, he said.

Mr Naseem said that Taleemul Quran Trust, Lahore, provided a teacher, while the EDO (Literacy) arranged three teachers, including a lady teacher, under the adult literacy scheme.

At least 23 prisoners were studying at different levels and 131 were reading nazara Holy Quran while seven others were learning it by heart, he said.

girls burnt: Two girls were burnt to death in Chhanga Manga on Thursday.

Amina, 10, and Shakila, 8, were collecting sugar cane waste when Abbas, who was unaware of their presence, set on fire his fields to clear them of the waste. The girls sustained serious burn injuries and were taken to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore, where they died.