Federal Prison Islamabad Gets 350 Staff
More than 350 staff have been attached to Federal Prison Islamabad, the final staffing step before the capital’s new jail begins receiving prisoners. The facility, built to hold more than 1,500 prisoners in its first phase, still awaits a formal government order before transfers can start.
Dawn reported that the attached personnel include police, medical, sanitation and ministerial staff. Once the government gives the go-ahead, prisoners will be moved in phases, and the shifting is expected to be completed within a month.
The development matters because Islamabad has never had a prison of its own. Prisoners from the capital have long been held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, which means court appearances and family visits involve travel between the two cities. A working jail in Islamabad would end that arrangement for the prisoners it takes in.
Federal Prison Islamabad: who has been posted
Police form the largest part of the new staff. Sources told Dawn that 230 police officers and officials have been attached to the prison for security and other duties. Of these, 170 come 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 staff are head constables and constables, including 10 women constables.
Medical cover is being arranged through the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The jail administration sought 33 medical staff from the CDA, and orders for the attachment of 21 have been issued so far. Those named in the orders 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 of a principal technician, an X-ray technician, a naib qasid and a labourer have also been attached. Under an order from the CDA deputy director for human resource development, the staff have been deputed with immediate effect and until further orders, and have been told to report to the prison at once.
Two more groups are still being sought. The prison administration has asked the CDA for 60 sanitation workers and 30 clerical staff. Those requests had not been met in full when Dawn reported the staffing figures.
What happens next at the new jail
Sources said all arrangements at the jail had been completed, and only the government’s go-ahead was awaited. Once that order is issued, Capital Police will be responsible for moving prisoners between jails.
The prisoners to be shifted include undertrial suspects arrested by Capital Police in connection with crimes committed in Islamabad, as well as people convicted by Islamabad trial courts or facing trial in the city’s courts. Transfers will also be made from other prisons if required.
Dawn reported that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founder and former prime minister and his wife are most likely to be shifted to the new prison. That remains a source-based expectation, not a confirmed transfer order, and the report does not give a date for any individual move.
The staffing update is the latest step in a long-delayed project. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the facility was complete and transfers would follow, in Naqvi Says Islamabad Model Jail Complete, Transfers to Follow. An earlier report recorded that the first phase was ready after years of delay, while a separate report noted that the new jail had no road access as its opening neared, and another said an inauguration was expected soon.
Frequently asked questions
How many staff have been attached to Federal Prison Islamabad?
More than 350 personnel, including police, medical, sanitation and ministerial staff, have been attached to make the prison operational.
How many prisoners will the new jail hold?
The facility is built to accommodate more than 1,500 prisoners in its first phase, with around 1,500 Islamabad prisoners expected to move from Adiala Jail in that phase.
When will prisoners be shifted to the new jail?
Shifting will begin once the government issues its go-ahead, and sources expect the phased transfers to be completed within a month of that order.
Who will be moved to Federal Prison Islamabad?
Undertrial suspects arrested by Capital Police for crimes in Islamabad, people convicted by Islamabad trial courts, and people facing trial in the city’s courts, with transfers from other prisons if required.
