Adiala overcrowding hastens capital jail completion

Key incarcerated figures likely to be relocated to Islamabad Model Jail by Jan next year

RAWALPINDI:

With Adiala Central Jail severely overcrowded and authorities facing challenges keeping key figures incarcerated in the facility, authorities have directed completion of the long-awaited Islamabad Model Jail by January.

The model jail, spanning 90 acres in Islamabad's Green Buffer Zone, Sector H-16, was initially approved in the 2016-17 financial year with an estimated cost of Rs3.92 billion. However, delays and rising construction costs pushed the budget to Rs18.27 billion by 2019.

In 2019, the then-PTI government relocated the project to its current site, enabling construction to proceed.

The first phase will accommodate 2,000 inmates, with plans to expand capacity by an additional 2,000 in the second phase.

The facility, covering 914,329 square feet, will feature a 22-bed hospital, school, mosque, library, playground, and separate barracks for women and minors.

For visitor convenience, a large shed will allow families of detainees to meet with their relatives, accommodating up to 150 people at a time.

With Adiala Jail's capacity at 2,174, it currently houses around 7,500 prisoners, including 1,690 PTI workers detained during recent protests.

This shift will allow around 2,000 inmates from Islamabad to be transferred from Adiala, providing administrative relief and easing logistical challenges related to detainee transportation to Islamabad's courts.

The overcrowding has forced authorities to transfer some detainees to other jails in Jhelum and Attock.

PTI workers recently detained during political protests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Due to this excessive overcrowding, many detainees have been transferred to other facilities in Jhelum and Attock. The overcrowding crisis prompted Adiala's superintendent to formally request urgent assistance from the Islamabad Commissioner, emphasizing the critical need for Islamabad's jail to be completed.

Adiala's superintendent raised concerns in a letter to the Islamabad commissioner, urging the completion of the Islamabad facility to address pressing issues.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently visited the site, and final approval has been granted for opening the jail between January 10 and 25, 2025.

Transferring around 2,000 inmates to Islamabad Model Jail will not only ease Adiala's burden but also simplify detainee transport for court appearances in Islamabad.