Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar on Monday inaugurated Abdul Aleem Khan Foundation Hospital equipped with all modern facilities at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Mentally retarded prisoners, women and children will be provided with modern healthcare facilities at the hospital. Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar along with provincial ministers Sibtain Khan and Mian Khalid Mahmood inspected various sections of the jail including ‘Langarkhana’ (mess) and also directed the jail authorities to ensure provision of medical and other facilities to the prisoners.
According to details, a smartly-turned police squad presented solute to the governor on his arrival. Former provincial minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, senior journalists Haroon-ur-Rasheed, Hassan Nisar and Toufique Butt, IG Prisons (Punjab) Shahid Saleem Gondal and other jail officers were also present.
Jail authorities briefed the governor and provincial ministers about the facilities being extended to prisoners. Talking to media on this occasion, the governor said that no service can be greater than serving the humanity. Abdul Aleem Khan provided such medical and other facilities to the prisoners, which he had witnessed in jails of Britain. The facilities at Kot Lakhpat Jail were a model for us and their scope will be extended to other jails of Punjab as well. Besides the government, the philanthropists should also play their role in provision of facilities to prisoners.
He said, “I assure you that federal and Punjab governments will take all measures to ensure provision of basic facilities to prisoners in jails. I also use to pay visit to jails in Punjab from time to time to check facilities for the prisoners.”On this occasion, Abdul Aleem Khan said, “Prisoners are also human beings and it is responsibility of all of us to ensure provision of better facilities to them.” Abdul Aleem Khan Foundation will continue with such public welfare initiatives in future as well, he vowed.
Later, Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo held farewell meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar. During the meeting held at Governor House, the governor appreciated the services rendered by Stefano Pontecorvo as ambassador to Pakistan and also congratulated him on his appointment as senior representative of NATO in Afghanistan.
Talking on this occasion, Sarwar said that in the war against terrorism, Pakistan has rendered such sacrifices, which have no precedence in the world. Despite war hysteria of India, Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was advocating for peace. Pakistan was also playing an active role in harnessing peace in Afghanistan as did not want peace in Afghanistan only but in the entire region for which settlement of Kashmir issue as per UNO resolutions was indispensible and Narendra Modi government must stop aggression against the Muslims of India.
Punjab all out to facilitate prisoners: Sarwar
