ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said prisoners from Islamabad will be shifted to the new model jail in the capital which is awaiting inauguration by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Talking to media at the newly-built Islamabad Model Jail at H-16, Mr Naqvi, accompanied by State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, said the jail project had been completed and would be inaugurated within “two to four days” by the prime minister.
He said that around 1,500 Islamabad-based prisoners will be shifted to the new facility.
Mr Naqvi said there were 3,300 prisoners from Islamabad in Adiala Jail and out of them 1,500 will be shifted to the new prison. He said when the second phase of the Model Jail is completed, the remaining prisoners will also be shifted here.
The minister gave credit to the State Minister Talal Chaudhry and the CDA chairman and his team for the early completion of the jail project.
He said that the project was launched in 2009 and construction work was started in 2016. In 2024, the project was lying abandoned with hardly up to 40 to 50pc completion. He said with the efforts of the state minister and the CDA this project has now been completed. The minister also visited various sections of the jail including the 35-bed hospital and kitchen.
It is relevant to note here that the jail project faced prolonged delay. It was started by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration with the federal government’s funding. The ICT and the government had authorised the now defunct Public Works Department (PWD) for execution of the project. But work remained either stuck or continued with a slow pace.
In 2024, the project was handed over to CDA for execution, which managed the completion of its first phase on a fast track basis. This phase-1 project has been completed at a cost of around Rs7 billion, including fund utilised by PWD. In 2016 with the estimated cost of the project Rs3.9 billion, its completion deadline was 2019.
Meanwhile, the interior minister visited Kashmir Chowk underpass and reviewed the pace and progress of ongoing construction work. The project was launched 17 days ago.
“The interior minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of construction and appreciated the progress achieved so far,” read a statement issued by the interior ministry. The minister said if construction continued at the current pace, the project could be completed in less than 30 days.
CDA officials said work continued at the site with full pace and it could be completed before November 5. They said after 18 days, the physical progress of the work was around 75pc. The prime minister had laid the foundation stone of this project worth Rs1.4 billion on October 6.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026
