Draft reaches the Interior Ministry
Islamabad is set for a clearer legal frame for its jails after federal prison law changes advanced another step: a final draft of the Federal Prison and Correctional Facility Act, 2026 has been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Interior for approval before introduction and implementation in the federal capital. Officials familiar with the matter said the law is meant to cover the establishment, management, safety and security of prisons, the care and custody of prisoners, and their reformation and rehabilitation. The final draft was prepared by newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Prison Ali Akbar.
The proposed legislation aims to give prisons a statutory basis for how sentences are carried out and how people in custody are treated. In plain terms, it would define who runs federal prisons, what powers the state has over jail buildings, and what duties and rights apply inside them.
What the draft sets out to do
Under the draft, the federal prison system’s objectives include helping keep society just, peaceful and safe by enforcing court sentences under the Act and its regulations. It also calls for prisoners to be held in safe and secure custody while their fundamental rights under the Constitution, relevant international conventions to which Pakistan is a party, and applicable laws are observed, without sidelining punishment and correctional aims.
Federal prison law changes in this draft also stress welfare, rehabilitation and reintegration so that people leaving prison can return as law-abiding citizens, drawing on best practices. Basic principles include that every prisoner must accept the authority of prison officers and obey lawful instructions; that all prisoners be treated with respect for their dignity; that sentenced prisoners take part in reformation; that incentives such as special remissions and monetary benefits may be offered as prescribed; and that there be no discrimination except as the law allows.
How prisons would be run
The government may declare any building, enclosure, land or premises a Federal Prison and Correctional Facility. It may establish, alter, expand or relocate a prison, set its classification, declare that a prison will stop operating from a given date, and order prisoners moved to another jail named in a notification. It may also designate subsidiary or temporary prisons. Every prison under the Act would fall under the administrative control of the Inspector General.
A Prison Management Board, headed by the chief commissioner and including other members, would recommend steps for efficient and transparent management. The board would also create an Oversight Committee for prisoners’ welfare, philanthropic work, rehabilitation programmes, monitoring of prison administration and related purposes. Prison officers would be supplied with weapons, uniforms, equipment and other gear. An officer found guilty of misconduct would face the prescribed penalty after disciplinary proceedings and would have at least one right of appeal.
Custody, rights and contact with the outside
Every prisoner would remain in the lawful custody of a prison officer, follow prison discipline, the Act and the rules, and be told of duties, rights and obligations, which may also be published. Medical and psychological examinations would follow the rules. Prisoners could lodge complaints freely under a modern-standard mechanism, and technology would be used to improve efficiency, accountability, security and discipline.
Prisoners may send and receive letters and make or take audio and video calls through prison facilities. Relatives, friends and people providing legal help may visit. Spouses may visit for conjugal rights. All correspondence, communications and visits would be supervised by a prison officer as prescribed. The SSP may act against a prisoner involved in a discipline breach or a criminal offence under any law.
These federal prison law changes are still at the approval stage. The draft must clear the Interior Ministry before it can be introduced and put into force in the capital.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad ke liye naya federal jail qanoon ka final draft tayyar ho chuka hai aur Interior Ministry ke paas approval ke liye gaya hai. Is draft mein qaidioun ke huqooq, ilaaj, shikayat, mulaqaat aur rehabilitation ke qawaid likhe gaye hain. Abhi yeh sirf draft hai — Interior Ministry ke manzoori ke baad hi capital mein laagu ho sakta hai. Aam shehriyon ke liye seedha matlab yeh hai ke federal jails ke niyam zyada wazeh ho sakte hain, lekin abhi koi naya qanoon court ya jail mein laagu nahi hua.
