All senior officers of the Punjab Prisons Department up to the rank of superintendents are wearing police uniforms "illegally" as the official dresses are allowed only for the superintendents, deputy superintendents and warders of jails, Business Recorder has learnt through reliable sources. Well-informed sources told this scribe that the newly-appointed Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mirza Shahid Saleem Baig and other seven DIGs are wearing "official" police uniforms under the violation of Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978.
As per chapter-48 of the Pakistan Prisons Rules, the official police uniforms were recommended only for the superintendents, deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents and warders of the jails. "The government had not recommended any formal dress for the executive slots of the Punjab Prison Department," they said, adding the official dress for executives is civil.
Interestingly, the sources claimed that all the executives, including the IG Prisons, are also getting monthly dress allowances from the provincial government. "It is extremely unfortunate that the chief of prison force is involved in such a serious violation," they expressed. They claimed that IG Prisons Shahid Saleem and all other jail staff high-ups are "fully aware" about this violation but wore their uniform on various occasions just to show off their influence. "It is a serious offence/crime which comes under the definition of impersonation," the sources claimed, adding that IG Prisons Shahid Saleem is a grade-20 officer but he is wearing the uniform of grade-22.
According to the pictures, available with this correspondent, the serving IG Prisons had also visited Azad Kashmir regiment and district jail of Sialkot for annual inspection by wearing his police uniform. Also, the Facebook account of serving IG Prisons Shahid carries his picture in police uniforms in violation of the Pakistan Prisons Rules, 1978.
It is also pertinent to mention that official website of the Punjab Prisons has also pictures of the former Punjab Prisons chiefs and serving and retired DIGs. A brief survey of the Punjab Prisons website's media room revealed that the police department has also uploaded pictures of their high-ups in "official" police uniforms. The media room of the website carries seven links including events and visits, inauguration, inspection facilities, jail products, reformation and rehabilitation. Out of the total, the first three and sixth categories of the links carry information and pictures of the serving and former police personnel in their "official uniforms" agaisnt violation of law. When contacted IG Prisons Shahid Saleem Baig for his official version over this illegality, he did not respond to calls and text messages sent by this scribe.