Senate panel demands inquiry over suspended jail construction
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit a detailed and comprehensive inquiry report explaining why the CDA administration abruptly halted construction work in 2018 on Islamabad Model Jail located in Sector H-16.
Furthermore, to closely monitor progress and prevent further delays, the Senate panel directed the CDA management to submit weekly progress reports on ongoing work.
The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, chaired by its Chairman Senator Nasir Mehmood, conducted an official oversight visit on Tuesday to review the under-construction Islamabad Model Jail located in Sector H-16. They were briefed by Asmat Sharif, CDA’s Member Building, on the master plan and physical progress of the project, which spans over 90 acres.
The Senate panel expressed serious reservations regarding the prolonged delays in the project, noting that construction originally commenced on May 8, 2017 and is now projected to reach completion by July 31, 2026, at an escalated cost of PKR 7,399.12 million. A major point of contention arose when Senate panel member Senator Naseema Ehsan strongly highlighted the complete omission of dedicated women’s barracks, essential infant care
facilities and schooling arrangements for the children of female inmates in the original plans.
While the Senate panel was informed that women’s facilities had been relegated to a future “Phase 2” because they were not initially included, members expressed profound concern and rejected the exclusion, demanding immediate integration of humanitarian and human rights provisions for women and their children.