ISLAMABAD: The multi-billion-rupee National Police Hospital project was shelved in the final stages of completion due to ‘poor planning’ and a sharp increase in project costs.

Police officers told Dawn on condition of anonymity that, now that the project has been shelved, the capital police are working on plans to utilise the building for other purposes.

The hospital was designed to have a capacity of 250 beds, with various wards including emergency, orthopaedics, cardiology, surgery, general medicine and neurology. In addition, it was to include cardiac and medical intensive care units and facilities for treating weapon-related injuries and providing physiotherapy services. The project also included plans for a nursing hostel.

Construction of the hospital was in full swing in the latter half of 2025, but expenditures exceeded the allocated budget. Work was stopped earlier this year after the government did not release additional funds.

At present, the hospital is almost complete, with only finishing work remaining.

The interior ministry ordered that the project be shelved and the building be used for another purpose, as the government is not releasing additional funds for its completion.

Senior police officers told Dawn that a final decision on the building’s future use has yet to be made, but it is most likely to be converted into barracks, a proposal supported by a majority of officers. However, some police officials believe the department should seek additional government funding or complete the project through a public-private partnership model. One officer opposed the idea, saying the interior ministry had already ordered the project to be wrapped up.

Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi was approached multiple times since April 20 for comment on the matter, but did not respond.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry was also unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.

The project was the brainchild of former IGP Dr Sultan Azam Temuri. It was announced in April 2018. At the time, then interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said funds would be allocated in the 2018-19 budget. During the PTI government, the project was shelved as the then-IGP said they did not need the hospital.

The project was revived when the PML-N returned to power. Meanwhile, the estimated cost increased from Rs2 billion in 2018 to Rs6.479 billion in 2023, and the PC-I was also revised.

According to the approved project summary, the cost included Rs3,166.807 million for hospital buildings, Rs1,812.678 million for equipment and furniture, Rs254.145 million for escalation, Rs216.345 million for consultancy, supervision and third-party validation, Rs197.738 million for doctors’ accommodation, Rs170.027 million for an entrance check-post, cafeteria and CCTV room, Rs164 million for services and infrastructure works, Rs129.616 million for external electrification and street lighting, Rs118.006 million for contingencies, Rs105.360 million for external development works and Rs46.210 million for departmental charges.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi laid the foundation stone of the hospital on Aug 20, 2024.

In a post on its official X account on June 20, 2025, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives stated that a 250-bed National Police Hospital was under construction in Sector H-12, Islamabad.

A press release issued on the same day by the ministry stated that Minister Ahsan Iqbal, during his visit to the under-construction hospital, reviewed progress and expressed satisfaction with the pace of work. He directed the relevant authorities to ensure completion of the project by June 2026.

On July 19, 2025, the Press Information Department stated that Pakistan’s first modern police hospital was nearing completion and that Mohsin Naqvi had assigned the task of making it functional by December.

On July 20, 2025, Mr Naqvi visited the construction site and directed the authorities concerned to make the hospital functional by December.

During a briefing, IGP Rizvi stated that the hospital was being built at a cost of Rs6.4 billion and that its grey structure had already been completed. He added that an institute was also being established alongside the hospital to train more than 500 nurses.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026