Punjab sets up welfare stores in all central jails under reform drive

Chairman Task Force on Prisons Rana Manaan Khan and Punjab Secretary Home Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi inaugurated “Prison Welfare Stores” in all central jails across the province, enabling inmates to purchase essential items within jail premises at affordable prices

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2026) Chairman Task Force on Prisons Rana Manaan Khan and Punjab Secretary Home Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi inaugurated “Prison Welfare Stores” in all central jails across the province, enabling inmates to purchase essential items within jail premises at affordable prices.

According to officials, welfare stores have been made operational simultaneously in all nine central jails of Punjab, where inmates can buy 74 essential items, including bakery products, beverages, kitchen supplies and hygiene items, at reasonable rates.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana Manaan said prison reforms were among the top priorities of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, adding that the government was taking exemplary steps to transform jails into reformative institutions. He directed that no item should be sold above the market retail price.

Dr Ahmed Javed said that after central jails, the facility would be extended to all prisons across Punjab within a month, adding that the stores were being managed by the Punjab Prison Foundation.

He said the entire purchasing process was being monitored through a centralised point-of-sale system and CCTV cameras to ensure transparency, while inmates could complete purchases through biometric verification linked to their bank accounts.

The secretary added that food items available at the stores had been tested by relevant laboratories and declared satisfactory, while audit officers had also been deployed to maintain transparency.

Inspector General Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir said the stores would operate on a no-profit, no-loss basis and price lists had been displayed for public convenience.

Inmates expressed satisfaction over the facility, saying it gave them a sense of ease and improved access to daily necessities within jail premises.