islamabad - Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday laid foundation stone of Islamabad Model Prison, which was also laid by then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in December 2013.

On 11 December, 2013, the groundbreaking of the model jail in sector H-16 of Islamabad was the last project that the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had inaugurated in his official capacity as chief justice, according to media reports.

Interestingly, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had also taken notice of delay in completion of the Islamabad jail project in 2017. He was reviewing the status of the jail project during a meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee and showed displeasure over inordinate delay in completion of a model jail in Islamabad.

While addressing on the occasion, Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal said that the capital’s model jail would act as a correction centre for the prisoners.

He said that start of work on establishment of model correction centre in the federal capital was a welcoming sign for which he as a minister had allocated a hefty amount to ensure early completion of the project. He said that the correction centre would help accomplishing criminal justice system and would also help in character building of the criminals to ensure that after completing the jail terms, the prisoners should not indulge in criminal activities again. He said that this model jail should be named as correction centre as it would not only be a place to jail the criminals but would also be a centre for their character building.

Chief Commissioner Islamabad Zulfiqar Haider, IGP Islamabad Dr Sultan Azam Temuri, former MNA from Islamabad Anjum Aqeel Khan, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Mushtaq Ahmed and other senior officials attended the ceremony.

Earlier, while briefing the minister, Chief Commissioner Islamabad said that the project of model jail would be completed in 2019 at a cost of Rs3.9 billion and for the current fiscal year, an amount of Rs8 million had been allocated for the project. He said that initially, the model jail would accommodate as many as 2,000 prisoners while the capacity would be enhanced afterwards. He said that more than 1,500 prisoners were brought to different courts in Islamabad which was wastage of time and resources besides creating security risks.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) had in 2013 leased 435,600 square yards of land for the new prison 33 years ago, charging Rs720 million from the district government. The CDA had principally approved a comprehensive plan of the model prison with facilities of boarding, sporting, healthcare, library, residential quarters, educational and religious institutes. The prison would be constructed on an area of 90 acres in Sector H-16.

Unlike traditional prisons in which the prisoners have no facilities to pass their time, neither having health, sports, library, gym, schools and vocational training centres, for the first time in the history of the country, a model prison was to be constructed to provide sports, health and education facilities to the inmates under one roof. However, it completion still seems far away despite ground breaking of the project twice.

According to the plan, Islamabad model prison will comprise 39 types of buildings, divided into three main categories. First, the ‘prison side buildings’ which include three storeys of administration block, four storeys of sentry posts, two storeys of male barracks, two storeys of male juvenile barracks, two storeys of women and female juvenile barracks, single storey of gallows, four storeys of central watch tower, two storeys of main kitchen and kitchen barracks, two storeys of hospital, two storeys of indoor hall, single storey of male laundry, two storeys of family conjugal quarters, single storey of prisoner processing, single storey of prisoner library, and three storeys of warden barracks (male and female).

Second, ‘residential side buildings’ include two storeys of rest house, three storeys of residence for employees of grades 1 to 10, three storeys for employees of grades 11 to 14, four storeys for employees of grades 16 to 18, two storeys for officers of grade 19, single storey block of grade 20 and three storeys of National Academy Of Performing Arts (NAPA).

Third, ‘educational and prayers buildings’ include three storeys of NAPA Academy, two storeys of middle school for boys (prisoners), two storeys of middle school for girls (prisoners), two storeys of middle school for boys (colony), two storeys of middle school for girls (colony), two storeys of vocational training and factory block a, single storey of vocational training and factory block, two storeys of prison mosque, two storeys of colony mosque, single storey of prayer hall for minorities, single storey of PCO utilities and multipurpose halls, two storeys of staff club, one storey of bank post office and shops, three storeys of gatehouse 1 and 2, one storey of machine room and single storey of tractor shed.