GUJRAT: An official committee has selected a piece of land for the construction of a new district jail in Gujrat as the existing jail has been facing multiple issues, Dawn has learnt.

As per details, hundreds of the inmates had been shifted to Gujranwala and other jails after flood water entered into the jail barracks during the worst urban flooding in the last couple of years. Moreover, the jail also had drainage and sewerage problems.

Official sources said that, on the request of Gujrat district jail administration, the district administration had been directed by the home department and other relevant authorities in the Punjab government to take measures to shift Gujrat jail on a priority basis.

Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Nurulain Qureshi had tasked the land revenue department with the survey and constituted a three members committee to select a suitable location for the purpose, the sources added.

The committee members included Gujrat Tehsildar Kashif Ahmed, District Jail Deputy Superintendent Aamir Abbas and Sub-Engineer Adil Hussain of the building department.

The committee inspected different locations for the purpose and finalised a proposal about a piece of land measuring 67 acres in Chak Qazi along the Upper Jhelum Canal.

Sources said that though the jail administration had demanded around 52 acres of land, the committee identified 67-acre land owned by private individuals as no suitable state land was available for the jail.

An official of the revenue department revealed that the selected land was located around 14km away from the city’s existing jail. He said that a proposal had been moved to the home department for further necessary action and after approval, the process of land acquisition would be started.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2026