Lahore: A high-level meeting was convened at the Home Department under the leadership of Secretary Home Punjab Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi to assess progress and establish future objectives for the Punjab Chief Minister’s Safe Jail Project. The gathering included senior officials such as Inspector General Prisons Mian Salik Jalal and representatives from the Punjab Information Technology Board, among others. The focus was on leveraging modern technology to bolster prison security, with 80 percent of the equipment procurement and inspection reportedly completed.

According to Directorate General Public Relation – Govt of Punjab, the initial phase of the Safe Jail Project involves the completion of 10 Central Jails, District Jail Lahore, and 10 Command and Control Centers. A total of over 12,000 modern cameras are set to be installed across Punjab’s prisons. The Government of Punjab has earmarked Rs. 5 billion for the project, which includes the installation of 615 panic buttons, 1,525 public address systems, and various other security apparatus. The initiative also plans to introduce advanced surveillance features such as facial and vehicle recognition capabilities in cameras, alongside night-vision and AI-based technologies.

Secretary Home Punjab Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi emphasized the urgency of expediting the project’s pace, highlighting prison reforms as a governmental priority. The target for completing Central Jail Lahore is set for the current month, with a province-wide completion deadline of March 2027. To ensure effective monitoring, control rooms will be established in all relevant offices and facilities. The project agreement provides for five years of operations and maintenance post-completion, with the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation overseeing implementation and consultancy support from the Punjab Safe Cities Authority.