PESHAWAR, May 11: Inspector general of prisons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khalid Abbas on Friday directed the district police officers and jail superintendents to make a joint plan for better security of their respective prisons within a month.

The directions were issued during a meeting here on the security of provincial jails.

The provincial home and tribal affairs secretary had asked the inspector general of prisons to call the meeting.

The meeting decided that use of cellphone would be banned inside prisons, while strict action would be taken against jail staff and prisoners in case of any violation in this respect.

It also said in light of a Peshawar High Court decision, security of prisoners would be beefed up and that prisoners would be freed on the day they were supposed to be freed even if that was an official holiday.

The meeting also said exchange of prisoners from jails of other provinces would be made only on the directives of the home department. — APP