Punjab Cabinet’s Standing Committee on Legislative Business (SCLB) Wednesday approved several matters including lifting the ban on recruitment of jail warders, establishing sessions courts in two tehsils and high security zones in various areas. The meeting of SCLB was held here at the Civil Secretariat. Chairman and Minister Parliamentary Affairs, Cooperatives, Environment Protection Muhammad Basharat Raja presided over via video link from Rawalpindi.
Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk, Secretary Law Akhtar Javed, Secretary Specialised Healthcare Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi and other relevant officers participated. The SCLB approved the establishment of sessions courts in tehsil Darya Khan of district Bhakkar and Tehsil Chowk Sarwar Shaheed of district Muzaffargarh on the request of Home Department. The cabinet committee decided to give remission to Hindu, Sikh and Christian prisoners in Punjab jails for taking educational courses of their respective faith. However the chair, directed the inspector general Prisons Punjab to prepare undisputed religious courses for the minority prisoners and get consent of prominent scholars of the respective religions and the Department of Education as well. The committee approved the remission for those prisoners who took training courses organised by the technical education watchdog ‘TEVTA’. Approving the recruitment to address the shortage of warders in prisons, Basharat Raja said that recruitment of more educated people could help improve the culture of prisons. “Educational qualification Matric was fine, but there should be room for more educated people to become candidates”, directed the chair.