How to Book a Jail Visit in Punjab With the Mulaqat App and Helpline 1124
Book a prisoner meeting in a Punjab jail with the Mulaqat app, confirm at the counter and call helpline 1124 about bad treatment. See the steps and who to call.
To meet a prisoner in a Punjab jail, install the Mulaqat app from Google Play, enter the prisoner's details, and wait for a message with your meeting time. Confirm the visit at the jail counter at that time. If staff treat you badly or ask for money, call the toll free helpline 1124. Punjab Prisons describes both on its own website.
Families used to queue outside the gate and hope. The Mulaqat app (mulaqat means meeting) was built to end that. Punjab Prisons says it began as a pilot at Camp Jail Lahore and was then launched across Punjab. This guide covers how the booking works, what the website does not say, and who to call when something goes wrong.
The Mulaqat app books your meeting before you travel
The Mulaqat app lets you book a prison visit from your phone. You submit the prisoner's details for the jail concerned, and the system sends you a message with the time of the meeting. The app is on the Google Play Store.
Punjab Prisons says the app saves citizens' time and removes the room for bribery. The department also says the Inspector General of Prisons ordered separate counters for app bookings in all jails, and told staff to publicise the app. We read all of this on the department's Mulaqat App page. We did not install or test the app, so we cannot describe its screens.
Booking takes five steps from phone to jail counter
You book on the app, get a message, travel at the stated time and confirm at the counter. The department page gives this order. It does not list documents, so keep your CNIC with you and ask the jail what else it needs.
- Install the Mulaqat app from the Google Play Store.
- Enter the prisoner's details and choose the jail where the prisoner is held.
- Complete the booking.
- Wait for the message that gives your meeting time.
- Go to the jail at that time and confirm the meeting at the special counter.
The page does not say how many visitors one booking allows, which days a jail accepts visits, or what a visitor must carry. Those rules can differ by jail and by prisoner category. Ask the jail reception before you travel a long way. The same applies to the CNIC: it is the normal proof of identity in Pakistan, but the jail decides what it accepts at the gate.
Waiting sheds and the superintendent give you a first stop
Punjab Prisons says waiting and interview sheds have been built at its jails for inmates and visitors. They have seating, fans and electric water coolers. Superintendents must be present in the waiting sheds or reception offices from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm to hear visitors' problems.
The department also says intercom sets are placed at the reception of each jail. A visitor can use one to contact the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent directly. This is the quickest route if your booking is not showing at the counter. The superintendent hour is the department's order, so ask the staff at the gate for the current time if the shed is empty.
| Where you are | What to use | Source detail |
|---|---|---|
| At home, before the visit | Mulaqat app | Booking, then a message with the meeting time |
| At the jail gate | Special counter | Confirm the meeting at the booked time |
| In the waiting shed | Superintendent, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Problems of visitors heard in person |
| At the reception | Intercom set | Call the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent |
| Anywhere | Helpline 1124 | Toll free, complaint goes to the Home Department |
Helpline 1124 handles complaints from visitors
If jail officers do not answer, call the toll free helpline 1124. The Home Department runs it. It takes complaints about officials' behaviour, costly or poor goods at the jail canteen, unfair demands, problems of inmates and missing basics such as clean washrooms or drinking water.
The department says that after a complaint the Home Department passes directions to the Superintendent, who must report the steps taken within 30 minutes. The complainant is then informed. That is the department's stated process. We did not call the number, so we cannot say how fast it works in practice. Give full particulars when you call: the jail, the prisoner's name, the date and what happened.
The Punjab Prisons complaint cell page adds more routes: PTCL numbers displayed inside and outside each prison, an official WhatsApp complaint service, and a promise that every complaint is reviewed within 24 hours. The cell's phone number is 042-38350002. A complaint about a bribe demand can also go to the Anti-Corruption Establishment on 1350. For other Punjab numbers, the list of official Punjab government helplines is useful to save.
What to do when the visit and the case are separate problems
A visit booking only arranges a meeting. It does not change the prisoner's case. If your worry is about arrest, remand or a court hearing, those need a lawyer or a court process, not the jail counter.
Families sometimes need free legal help. The steps for free lawyer legal aid in Punjab are set out separately. A convicted prisoner who wants to appeal to the Supreme Court can read how to file a jail petition. Neither is handled by the Mulaqat app.
Common questions about jail visits in Punjab
Is the Mulaqat app free?
Punjab Prisons describes it as an app for visitors' convenience and does not mention a charge. Check the Google Play page before you install it. Any fee must come from the app, not from a person at the gate.
Is the Mulaqat app only for Lahore?
No. Punjab Prisons says it began as a pilot at Camp Jail and was then launched across Punjab. Separate counters were ordered in all jails.
What if my booking does not show at the counter?
Ask for the Superintendent in the waiting shed, or use the intercom at reception. If no one answers, call helpline 1124 and give the booking details.
Can I visit without the app?
The department page does not say. It presents the app as the booking route. Ask the jail reception what is allowed for walk-in visits.
Who do I call about a bribe demand at a jail?
Call helpline 1124 and the prisons complaint cell on 042-38350002. For a corruption complaint against an official, the Anti-Corruption Establishment accepts reports on 1350.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 14 October 2026. The Mulaqat App, Public Helpline 1124, New Waiting and Interview Sheds and Complaint Cell pages on prisons.punjab.gov.pk are the source for every figure and rule above. We did not install the app, call the helpline or visit a jail. Visit days, documents and visitor limits are not published on those pages.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
