Islamabad Model Jail Completed: 1,500 Inmates in the First Phase, Prisoners of Islamabad Courts to Move There
Islamabad Model Jail is complete and will hold 1,500 inmates, Mohsin Naqvi said on 27 October 2026. Prisoners of Islamabad courts will be moved there.
Short answer: Islamabad Model Jail is complete and will hold about 1,500 inmates in its first phase, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Prisoners whose cases are heard by Islamabad courts will be moved there. It is not open yet: the Prime Minister is to inaugurate it, and no date has been given.
For families with a relative in custody on an Islamabad case, this is the news that matters. Visits, hearings and travel could all get shorter once the jail opens. Below is what was announced, what has not been decided in public, and what to do until the move happens.
The jail will take about 1,500 inmates in its first phase
Mohsin Naqvi announced the jail's completion at a news conference in Islamabad on 27 October. He said it was built to international standards and will house about 1,500 inmates in the first phase. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) built it with the Interior Ministry.
Earlier the same day, Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry toured the site with the CDA chairman, the Islamabad Inspector General of Police and the Deputy Commissioner. They went through the jail hospital, kitchen, dining hall, barracks and the visitors' waiting area. Naqvi ate a meal cooked for inmates to check its quality.
| Islamabad Model Jail | What was announced |
|---|---|
| Status | Construction complete, not yet inaugurated |
| Capacity, first phase | About 1,500 inmates |
| Who moves in | Inmates whose cases are heard by Islamabad courts |
| Technology | Facial recognition to identify prisoners, a visit management system |
| Facilities seen | Hospital, kitchen, dining hall, barracks, waiting area |
| Opening | Prime Minister to inaugurate, no date given |
The project was pending for 17 years
The state news agency APP reported that the jail had been pending for 17 years. Officials told the ministers that construction began in 2024 on Naqvi's instructions and was finished in a short period. The cost was not given in either official report.
Islamabad has long relied on jails outside the capital, chiefly Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, for people held on Islamabad cases. That means long trips for families, and prisoner vans moving between Rawalpindi and the Islamabad courts for every hearing. A jail inside the capital is meant to cut that.
Prisoners of Islamabad courts will be moved there
Naqvi said inmates whose cases are heard by Islamabad courts will be shifted to the new jail. He did not say how many people that is, in what order they will move, or whether convicted prisoners and under-trial prisoners will be treated differently.
Families should not assume a transfer has happened. Until the jail is inaugurated and the transfers are ordered, your relative stays where they are held now. The jail authorities, not the news, will confirm a move.
Visits will run through a new visit management system
The minister said the jail has a system for managing visits, and the waiting area for visitors was part of the tour. How families will book a visit, and on which days, has not been published.
For a relative held in a Punjab jail such as Adiala today, visits are booked through the Punjab Prisons mulaqat system. The steps, the app and the helpline are set out in booking a jail visit in Punjab. Keep using that until the new jail's own process is announced.
What families should do until the jail opens
Nothing changes for your relative today. But it helps to be ready, because transfers can happen quickly once a jail opens.
- Keep booking visits at the current jail through its normal system.
- Keep a copy of your relative's case details: court, case number, FIR and next hearing date.
- Ask the lawyer to watch for any transfer order from the court or the jail.
- Once the jail is inaugurated, confirm a move with the jail authorities before travelling.
- Ignore anyone who asks for money to "arrange" a transfer or a visit.
The last point matters. Visits and transfers are free. Anyone offering a paid shortcut is either lying or asking for a bribe. If your relative's case raises a question of bail or of sentence, probation instead of jail and a jail petition in the Supreme Court explain two routes that do not depend on where the prisoner is held.
Common questions
Is Islamabad Model Jail open?
Not yet. Construction is complete, and the Prime Minister is to inaugurate it. No opening date was given on 27 October 2026.
How many prisoners will Islamabad Model Jail hold?
About 1,500 in the first phase, the Interior Minister said.
Who will be moved to the new Islamabad jail?
Inmates whose cases are heard by Islamabad courts, Naqvi said. Numbers and timing were not given.
Where is Islamabad Model Jail?
In Islamabad. The official reports of 27 October did not name the sector or give an address.
How do I book a visit at the new jail?
The process has not been published. It will use a visit management system, the minister said. Use the current jail's system until then.
How long did the Islamabad jail take?
The project was pending for 17 years, APP reported. Officials said construction began in 2024.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read Radio Pakistan's report of Mohsin Naqvi's news conference and APP's report of the site visit on 28 October 2026. The capacity, the transfer of Islamabad court prisoners, the facial recognition and visit systems and the inauguration plan come from Radio Pakistan. The 17 years, the 2024 start, the officials present and the facilities toured come from APP. We could not verify the jail's location, cost, opening date, the number of prisoners to be moved, or the visiting rules. The reference to Adiala Jail is background, not part of the 27 October announcements.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
