PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved Rs1.3 billion for purchasing advanced security systems for five most sensitive prisons amid a surge in terrorism in the province.
According to official documents available with HUM News English, the provincial cabinet recently held a meeting where the additional chief secretary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department briefed the cabinet members on the urgent need to enhance prisons’ surveillance and security systems in view of the rising wave of terrorism in the province.
The cabinet was informed that the National Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) had proposed a comprehensive plan worth Rs2.7 billion for purchasing the gadgets including the acquisition of jammers, CCTV cameras, surveillance tools, and an upgraded communication system for all provincial prisons.
However, given the province’s precarious financial position, the cabinet decided to implement the project in phases with the provision of the high-system tech to Central Jail Peshawar, Central Jail Mardan, Central Jail Haripur, Central Jail Bannu and Central Jail Dera Ismail Khan, the five high-security prisons in the province.
As per the documents, the cabinet approved the installation of jammers, CCTV cameras, and communication systems in these prisons at a cost of Rs1.3 billion.
The project will be executed on a government-to-government (G2G) basis through the NRTC.
The installation of advanced security systems is expected to significantly bolster prisons’ safety, and address the vulnerabilities highlighted by the recent security assessment.
Earlier in September, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government approved the Safe City Peshawar project to protect the provincial capital from terrorist incidents.
The project will be completed through the National Radio and Telecommunications Corporation (NRTC) at a cost of over Rs2.2 billion in six months.
The estimated cost was originally Rs16 billion. However, the NRTC offered to complete the project in six months on a G-to-G basis at a cost of over Rs2.2 billion. The company has prior experience in completing several safe city projects in Punjab, the cabinet was told.
In November, the Punjab Home Department issued rules and regulations and criteria for pardoning prisoners.
Five conditions of hard work, good character, education, blood donation and special amnesty were introduced in the new rules and regulations.
The criteria stipulated 15 days’ remission for prisoners of good character on completion of one-year imprisonment with hard labour. After completion of three years, 15 days plus additional 30 days will be waived, the Punjab Home Department had notified.
Prisoners with matric, intermediate, BA or MA degrees will get six to 10 months of remission in sentence, and those who complete Quran memorisation and translation while in prison will get pardon of six months to two years’ sentence.