MARDAN: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak inaugurated a high security prison here on Wednesday and said that the new jail having three-layer security walls had the capacity to accommodate around 2,200 prisoners.

He pointed out that construction of the high security prison was an effort to thwart challenges like Bannu and DI Khan jailbreaks in future and to ensure security of the prisoners.

The chief minister was accompanied by Chief Secretary Amjid Khan, Provincial Education Minister Mohammad Atif Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Mujahid Khan, MPA Zahid Durrani, DIG Saeed Khan Wazir and other relevant officials.

After visiting different sections of the newly-constructed building, Mr Khattak told journalists that the provincial government had decided to construct the high security prison in Mardan in line with the national security policy a few years ago.

He said that prisoners from the old jail in Mardan would be shifted to this new building in the next 10 days. He said that the new building of Mardan jail was constructed with the cost of Rs1.7 billion and it had the capacity to accommodate about 2,200 prisoners.

“There are nine sectors for prisoners with each accommodating 150 inmates, 10 segregation cells, 20 death cells and two special security sectors each having 62 cells,” he said.

Jail has capacity to accommodate over 2,000 prisoners

He said that other facilities included civil prisoners sector, A and B class containing 18 rooms with attached bath and kitchen in the sector, female section for 105 prisoners, juvenile section for 105 prisoners and five cookhouses.

Mr Khattak said that the administration block of the new building of Mardan jail also had the IT and CCTV control room; three interview rooms for the male, female and A and B class prisoners; gallows cell for executions; and store besides barber/welfare shop, establishment office and three overhead water tanks.

He said that keeping in view the security challenges the government had ensured that the new Mardan jail building was equipped with all modern facilities and a secured prison.

He revealed that arrangements provided in the new prison included three-layered security walls around the prison, mobile pickup for round-the-clock surveillance around prison, floodlights in the sectors and on towers, streetlights both inside and outside the prison area, electric alarm system, pop-up blocker, eleven watch towers on perimeter wall, six pickets on the wall, four on main gates, eight pickets in prison colony and outer gate, walkthrough gates /detectors, steel barrier in front of outer main gate (first entrance), and guard rooms in all sectors.

He said that there were 399 CCTV cameras, RCC wall around the jail premises, three electric gates and provision of eight jammers. Facilities for prisoners include a mosque, geysers in female/juvenile sections and family quarters, laundry for prisoners in all sections, steel shelf and hangers in barracks, 180-bed hospital having physician/surgeon and other specialist doctors, computerized interview system and PCO(s) in all sectors.

He said that the problems of overcrowding in the prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be reduced considerably. He said that the people of Mardan, Peshawar and Malakand divisions would be facilitated with the establishment of this prision in Mardan.

Published in Dawn, October 15th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play