ISLAMABAD: More than 350 personnel, including police, medical, sanitation and ministerial staff, have been attached to Federal Prison Islamabad to make it operational and accommodate over 1,500 prisoners.
Sources familiar with the matter told Dawn that 230 police officers and officials had been attached to the prison for security and other related duties. Of these, 170 personnel were from Islamabad Police and 60 from the Punjab Prison Police.
The police contingent includes a senior superintendent of jail, two deputy superintendents, two inspectors, seven sub-inspectors and 13 assistant sub-inspectors.
The remaining personnel comprise head constables and constables. Ten women constables are also among the deployed staff.
The jail administration had sought 33 medical staff members from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and orders for the attachment of 21 personnel have so far been issued.
The medical staff from CDA Hospital include Surgeon Israr Ahmed, Medical Officer Syed Munawar Hussain Shah, Deputy Director Medical and Health Jahangir Khan and Assistant Dental Surgeon Omar Niaz Khan.
Three staff nurses, three senior technicians, two ward boys and one each principal technician, X-ray technician, naib qasid and labourer have also been attached to the prison.
According to an order issued by the office of the CDA’s Deputy Director HRD-I, the staff have been deputed to the prison on an attachment basis with immediate effect and until further orders. They have been directed to report to the prison immediately, while a compliance report is to be submitted to the HRD Directorate.
Their duties and responsibilities will be assigned by the concerned formation.
Besides, the prison administration has sought 60 sanitation workers and 30 clerical staff from the CDA.
The sources said all arrangements at the jail had been completed and the government’s go-ahead was awaited to begin shifting prisoners, including undertrial prisoners and convicts, to the facility.
Once the government issues the order, prisoners will be transferred from Adiala Jail and other prisons, if required, the sources said.
Capital Police will be responsible for transporting prisoners between jails once directives in this regard are issued.
The shifting of prisoners is expected to be completed within a month in different phases. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founder and former prime minister and his wife are most likely to be shifted to the new prison.
The prisoners to be shifted include undertrial suspects arrested by Capital Police in connection with crimes committed in Islamabad, as well as those convicted by Islamabad’s trial courts or facing trial in the city’s courts.
Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2026
