960414

14 jail wardens

suspended, show

cause issued to

DSP and ASP

LAHORE: The Prisons Chief Punjab, Muhammad Hussain Cheema on Sunday suspended 14 wardens of Central jails, Gujranwala, Kotlakh Pat and Camp Jail Lahore during surprise raids on account of gross negligence of duty.

During his surprise visits conducted on Saturday night to inspect the night security arrangements in these prisons, the Deputy Superintendent of Prisons, Kotlakh Pat Ijaz Qadir and Night Duty Officer of the same jail, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Raza Mehmood Zaman were also served with show cause notices.

The Inspector General Prisons, Punjab during his first surprise visit to Central Jail Gujranwala found one warden absent from duty and suspended him from service. Then he returned to city same night and paid another surprise visit to Central Jail, Kotlakh Pat and found six wardens absent from night duty during his two hours thorough inspection. He also served show cause notices on DSP and ASP of same jail for dereliction of duty and expressed his displeasure on poor night security arrangements.

Later in the last leg of his surprise raids, he also inspected the Camp Jail, Lahore where seven wardens were reported absent from duty and suspended all of them on the spot.

Talking to APP, Chaudhary Muhammad Hussain Cheema said that all the Superintendents of Central and District Jails throughout the province have been warned to personally ensure the proper night security arrangement and check them daily along with DSP and Night Duty officers failing which Superintendent would be taken to task.

He said that he would continue to carry series of surprise raids at various jails in the province throughout day and night and inspect them thoroughly.-APP