ISLAMABAD – Jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughterMaryam Nawaz may be shifted from the high-security Adiala jail to SihalaRest House, which has been converted into a sub-jail in the suburbs ofIslamabad after some prisoners started chanting slogans against him onThursday morning, prison authorities said.

Nawaz, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, were arrested in Lahore on July 13on their arrival from London after an accountability court found themguilty over his family’s ownership of four luxury flats in London. Theywere later taken to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Both Sharif and Maryam have been sentenced by the accountability court to10 and 7 years in prison respectively for corruption charges linked toPanama Papers scandal.

Adiala jail authorities have limited the movement of Sharif after someprisoners started chanting slogans against him as he was out for a strollin the courtyard of his barrack this morning, Dawn News reported.

He will now also not be allowed to pray in the mosque, it said.

According to sources, the jail authorities are considering moving Sharifand his daughter Maryam Nawaz to Safwat Lodge, commonly referred to asSihala Rest House, located on the premises of Sihala Police College, thereport said.

“A bomb disposal squad visited Sihala Police College last last night tocomb the premises to ensure there are no explosives in case the formerpremier and his daughter are moved to Sihala,” a senior security officialwas quoted as saying by the report.

The rest house has already been declared as a sub-jail and security atSihala has also been beefed up by the authorities.

It may be unsafe for the three-time prime minister to remain in the jaildue to the presence of high profile prisoners convicted in terrorism cases,even though security for him and his daughter has been beefed up, theofficial said.

A senior police official said security outside Adiala jail has also beentightened due to the large number of people coming to meet their loved onesin jail and the gathering of PML-N workers and leaders attempting to meetSharif and Maryam.

Safwat Lodge has been cleaned and decorated with flowers, paintings andphotographs. A double bed, two chairs and a table will also be provided tothe prisoners.

This is the same lodge where former president and PPP co-chairperson AsifAli Zardari had been detained when his party’s government was dismissed in1996. Other political leaders have also been detained in the rest house inthe past.

On July 13, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration hadalready declared the rest house a sub-jail for detaining the Sharifs whowere arrested by the National Accountability Bureau when they reachedLahore. However, they were taken to Adiala jail instead.

After the notification was issued by the ICT administration, the rest houseon Friday, the rest house was cleaned and prepared for the former primeminister, the report said.