The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with funding from the European Union, formally handed over the Prison Management Information System to the Balochistan Prison Department during a ceremony in Islamabad. The new system connects 13 facilities across the province, including 11 prisons and the offices of the Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, giving secure access to detainee and inmate information and strengthening coordination with courts and law enforcement.
The PMIS Balochistan rollout aims to support human rights compliant management by improving recordkeeping and operational oversight in line with international standards such as the Nelson Mandela Rules. A digital visitor management module will make visits more organised and transparent for prisoners’ families, reduce waiting times and contribute to public trust through safer, better-managed facilities.
To ensure long-term effectiveness, UNODC provided technical support, hands-on staff training and knowledge transfer across the province. Capacity building measures included establishing a Prison Training Academy, an eLearning Centre at Mach and a Central Command Unit in Quetta. Training materials and operational policies were developed while the Government of Balochistan allocated dedicated staff and budgetary resources to maintain and operate the PMIS.
Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan, emphasised that the PMIS was delivered through the EU-funded Deliver Justice Project, noting the initiative’s broader results from 2021 to 2026 across police, prosecution, judiciary and prisons. Troels Vester, UNODC Representative, described the system as a step toward transparent and sustainable prison management, and Capt. (R) Abdul Saeed Naveed, Inspector General Prisons Balochistan, reported significant improvements in operational efficiency and coordination since implementation. Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, observed that with PMIS operational in Balochistan, all four provinces have now advanced towards digital prison management.
The Deliver Justice Project, supported with a €20 million investment from the EU, focused on institutional reforms and digitalisation to improve access to justice and services for vulnerable groups. The handover of PMIS Balochistan marks a practical step toward better data-driven decision-making, enhanced inter-agency coordination and more accountable corrections management that will benefit prisons, their staff and the wider community.
