Lahore: Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi on Wednesday directed authorities to accelerate work on the Safe Jail project, under which more than 12, 000 modern surveillance cameras will be installed in prisons across the province to strengthen security through advanced technology.
Chairing a meeting to review progress on the project, the home secretary directed all stakeholders to work in close coordination and ensure timely completion of the project. He also ordered that progress be reviewed on a daily basis.
The meeting was informed that 80 per cent of the procurement and inspection of modern equipment had been completed, while the project was progressing to modernise security arrangements at Punjab’s prisons.
Under the first phase, 10 central jails, District Jail Lahore and 10 Command and Control Centres are being completed. The provincial government has allocated Rs5 billion for the Safe Jail project.
The meeting was further informed that the project would include installation of 615 panic buttons, 1, 525 public address systems, 369 body cameras, 615 walkie-talkie systems, 41 X-ray body scanners, 82 under-vehicle surveillance systems and 787 facial recognition access devices.
In addition, 133 software systems and 51 video conferencing systems would be installed to further strengthen prison security and management.
Officials said the modern cameras would have facial and vehicle recognition capabilities and would be equipped with night vision, anti-shake and artificial intelligence-based features.
A visitor management system would also be made operational to monitor visitors, while the surveillance system would keep track of the attendance and movement of prisoners and prison staff. Any violation of prescribed rules would trigger an automatic alert, the meeting was informed.
The surveillance network would cover prison entry and exit points, offices, barracks, security walls, jammer areas, kitchens, hospitals and libraries. Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi said prison reforms were among the top priorities of the Punjab government, adding that all stakeholders must work as a team for timely completion of the Safe Jail project.
He set a target for completion of Lahore Central Jail and its Command and Control Centre during the current month, while March 2027 had been fixed as the deadline for completion of the project across Punjab.
For effective monitoring, control rooms would be established at all prisons, regional DIG offices, the Inspector General Prisons office and the Home Department. The project also includes a five-year operations and maintenance arrangement after its completion.
National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) has been engaged for implementation of the Safe Jail project, while the Punjab Safe Cities Authority is providing consultancy services.
The Home secretary directed the concerned departments to ensure close coordination and maintain the pace of work so that all components of the project are completed within the stipulated timeframe.
The meeting was attended by Inspector General Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, Managing Director National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) Brigadier Azmat Shabbir, Additional Secretary Prisons Roman Borana, NRTC General Manager Syed Amir Javed, DIG Prisons Naveed Rauf, Project Director Colonel Wajid Mahmood, Project Director Imtiaz Abbas, representatives of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and other senior officials. Managing Director Punjab Safe Cities Authority Ahsan Younis participated through video link.
