Punjab govt opens prison welfare store ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr 2026

Store provides 74 essential items at subsidized rates, allows inmates to purchase goods according to their needs

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 20^th, 2026) The Punjab government has launched a welfare initiative for prisoners ahead of Eid, with Secretary Home Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi inaugurating a Prison Welfare Store at Central Jail Lahore.

The store provides 74 essential items at subsidized rates, allowing inmates to purchase goods according to their needs. During his visit, the secretary home extended Eid greetings to prisoners and interacted with them. Inmates expressed visible satisfaction while buying items of their choice.

The facility offers a variety of products, including bakery items, beverages, kitchen supplies, and hygiene essentials. The secretary home directed authorities to establish similar welfare stores in prisons across Punjab.

Initially, the store will be managed by the Punjab Prison Foundation.

All transactions will be monitored through CCTV cameras, while inmates will make purchases via biometric verification linked to their bank accounts using an online system.

Dr Qazi directed that no item should be sold above the official retail price and ordered that samples of food items be sent to the Punjab Agriculture Food and Drug Authority for quality testing.\

He added that arrangements for Eid prayers and meetings between inmates and their families have been completed in prisons across the province.

Special Secretary Home Fazal-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary Prisons Roman Borana, DIG Mohsin Rafiq, Superintendent Jail Ijaz Asghar, and other officials were also present on the occasion.