Islamabad Model Jail faces delays

The Islamabad Model Jail project has been delayed indefinitely due to severe funding shortages, leading to a 30 per cent increase in construction costs.

Initially estimated at Rs3.9 billion in 2021, the cost escalated to Rs7.4 billion in 2022-23 and has now exceeded Rs8.35 billion due to ongoing delays.

The Islamabad jail complex, spanning 90 acres in Sector 16, was launched during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and was slated for completion by January 31, 2025.

However, due to a lack of funds— Rs. 3.6 billion in pending allocations—construction has stalled once again.

The jail is designed to accommodate 2,000 inmates in the first phase and an additional 2,000 in the second phase, reaching a total capacity of 4,000 prisoners.

Facilities include a women's ward, children's ward, hospital, mosque, church, Imambargah, separate cells for different categories of inmates, a kitchen, a playground, and a library.

A 22-bed mini-hospital and a large visitor's area for up to 200 people are also part of the plan. Despite its completion, the new jail is not expected to significantly ease overcrowding in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, which currently houses over 7,000 inmates—nearly three times its official capacity of 2,700.

During the PTI's November 26 protests at D-Chowk, the number of detainees surged past 9,000, forcing authorities to transfer inmates to jails in Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal. The transfer of 2,000 prisoners from Islamabad to the new facility will provide some relief to Adiala Jail authorities.

However, a complete resolution will only be possible once the second phase of the project is completed by December 31, 2025.

Sources suggest that the project is unlikely to resume for at least the next three months due to financial constraints.