LAHORE: A delegation of the Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) called on Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir in his office here on Tuesday.
The delegation discussed training inmates in jails in manufacturing carpets by hand according to the market demand as per the modern requirements. In the first phase, a delegation of Carpet Training Institute (CTI) and PCMEA will visit Kot Lakhpat Jail to review the infrastructure and after the exchange of proposals, a formal Memorandum of Understanding MoU will be signed regarding the pilot project and mutual cooperation in the future.
PCMEA Senior Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf and CTI Chairperson Ijazur Rehman lead the delegation, while Major (retd) Akhtar Nazir, Riaz Ahmed, Shahid Hasan Sheikh, Saeed Khan, Mian Atiqur Rehman and Mohammad Riaz were also present. DIG Headquarters Salik Jalal, DIG Inspection Qazi Aslam and AIG Industry Rana Razaullah Khan were also present.
In the meeting, there was a discussion regarding the existi
ng infrastructure for the production of handmade carpets in the prisons of Punjab, the working methods of the prisoners and the quality of the raw material.
IG Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir said that some jails of Punjab have regular infrastructure for manufacturing carpets by hand. “We are also improving the quality of raw material and in future it is directed that high quality wool will be used for the manufacture of carpets”. ‘We would be happy to have a joint venture to teach inmates modern skills as per market demand”. After exchange of proposals and a formal MoU, looms should be installed on a priority basis in those jails where infrastructure is not available and training of prisoners should be arranged, he said and added that the Prisons Department will provide its full support and facilities in this regard.
Senior Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf said that the purpose of the visit was to provide modern training to the prisoners according to the market demand and when prisoners come out of the prisons, they c
an play their role as useful citizens in society besides this, they would be in a position of get a respectable job. ‘There is an acute shortage of skilled workers in the handloom carpet industry in the market and this shortage can be easily met if infrastructure for carpet manufacturing in prisons and training of inmates as per the modern requirements is started,’ he maintained.
He said, “We will provide all raw materials in the jails and also give the fixed payment to the prisoners and after the preparation the same carpet will be exported to foreign countries and with these measures, Pakistan’s soft image will be highlighted in the world.
It was decided in the meeting that after the formalization of the MoU, master trainers of the Carpet Training Institute will train the prisoners in jails and it will be extended to the jails of the province in a phased manner.