Rawalpindi   -   Provincial Minister for Prisons Fayyaz Ul Hassan Chohan on Monday said the authorities are going to launch a massive search operation in Adiala Jail to wipe out menace of narcotics, use of mobile phones and breaking nexus of gangsters from the prisons.

   He said Superintendent Adiala Jail Chaudhry Ijaz Asghar is a very honest and professional officer who along with his team including Deputy Superintendent Mazhar Panjota has brought positive changes in jail culture. 

“As many as 50 prisoners involved in petty cases have been released against surety bonds of Rs3.2 million furnished by philanthropists including Senior Minister Aleem Khan in last two months,” said Fayyaz Ul Hassan Chohan during media talk after visiting different sections of jail.

He said he had paid several visits to jail in last five and half months. He said he heard some negative propaganda against the jail superintendent but found the jailer a very honest, committed and hardworking officer who brought positive changes in jail culture. He said VVIP culture has been ended by him in jail whereas scores of dangerous inmates have also been shifted to other prisons of province. 

He said VVIP meetings between inmates and their relatives and friends have also been banned. He said good work by superintendent turned the mafias against him. “Jail Superintendent Chaudhry Ijaz Asghar refused to bow before political pressure and ended vagabondism by some powerful inmates,” he said adding that government has also broken nexus between drug mafia in jail. 

He said the foreign inmates have also been given facility of counsellor access. He said government is going to build six to seven news jails in Punjab. He also linked the present situation of PDM with a famous TV drama “Mery Pas Tum Ho” saying Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tore the showcause notice giving a big blow to opposition parties.

Earlier, Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan paid a visit to Adiala Jail.

He was welcomed by DIG Prisons Rawalpindi Region Malik Shoukat Feroze, Superintendent Chaudhry Ijaz Asghar, Deputy Superintendent Mazhar Panjota and other officers of prison department. He talked to prisoners and visitors to find out their problems and issued orders to the prison authorities to resolve their grievances. The provincial minister was also carrying a media team along with him during his visit to jail.  He visited jail kitchen and other barracks. He expressed his satisfaction over the performance of the jail authorities. 

Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyaz Ul Hassan Chohan said that he is not only a prisons minister, but a public figure as well, and anybody could approach him to get their problems resolved. He said he will make surprise visits to all jails of Punjab in the same manner to get first-hand information of problems of prisoners and also those who visit jails to meet their imprisoned relatives.

The minister ordered the jail authorities not to treat prisoners inhumanly. Adiala Jail Superintendent Chaudhry Ijaz Asghar gave a briefing to the minister on moral and physical training of prisoners, security of the prison, and its administrative matters.