CDA Reclaims Rs1.3 Trillion Worth of Land in Islamabad
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) says it has reclaimed government land worth about Rs1.3 trillion in Islamabad as part of its ongoing drive against illegal encroachments. The CDA reclaims Rs1.3 trillion land figure covers recoveries across several parts of the capital, including land near the Prime Minister’s House and in sectors where development had stalled for years.
The operation is being carried out under the direction of Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi and led by CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf. The authority says the aim is to protect public land from illegal occupation and to remove obstacles to the city’s planned development.
CDA reclaims Rs1.3 trillion land across five locations
The CDA said about 600 acres of government land near the Prime Minister’s House had been reclaimed. In Sector E-12, the authority recovered 1,135 kanals of land, clearing the way for development work that had remained stalled for decades.
In Sector C-17, the authority demolished illegal commercial structures occupying 116.8 kanals of land. In Malpur, five plazas along Murree Road were vacated as part of the drive, while efforts to recover a further 108 kanals in the area are under way.
The authority said it is examining land records, ownership documents and relevant legal requirements as part of the operations. It added that surveys, verification of revenue records and legal reviews come before enforcement action, so that action against illegal occupation stays within the law.
Why the E-12 recovery matters for allottees
Sector E-12 has been the clearest test of the drive. Allottees there have waited years for possession and basic development, while parts of the sector stayed under unlawful occupation.
The latest recovery fits a longer campaign in the sector. An earlier phase in September recovered 290 kanals in E-12, and the authority’s October statements put the total E-12 recovery above 1,100 kanals. Residents and allottees have welcomed the action, according to the authority, because it raises the prospect of roads, infrastructure and civic facilities finally moving ahead.
The CDA has said it wants to make the capital free of encroachments and to develop it as an organised, environmentally friendly city. It has also said residents welcomed the recovery of public land and the prospect of stalled projects resuming.
What comes next for the recovered land
The immediate question is what happens on the ground after recovery. The authority has linked the E-12 recovery to the resumption of development work in the sector, and the Malpur recovery is still in progress, with 108 kanals yet to be taken back.
For Islamabad, the stakes go beyond one sector. Feature Pakistan reported on the capital’s Kashmir Chowk underpass project, another scheme meant to ease pressure on the city’s roads. Recovered land in E-12 and C-17 will only change daily life if development work follows at the pace the authority has promised.
The CDA has said enforcement will continue in different parts of the city. The next measure of the drive will be visible work on the recovered plots, not the value attached to them.
Frequently asked questions
How much land has the CDA reclaimed in Islamabad?
The authority puts the total value of the recovered government land at about Rs1.3 trillion, including 600 acres near the Prime Minister’s House and 1,135 kanals in Sector E-12.
Where else did the drive recover land?
Illegal commercial structures on 116.8 kanals in Sector C-17 were demolished, five plazas along Murree Road in Malpur were vacated, and work is under way to recover a further 108 kanals in Malpur.
Who is leading the anti-encroachment drive?
The operation is being carried out under the direction of Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi and led by CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf.
What will happen to the recovered land in E-12?
The authority says the recovery clears the way for development work in the sector that had remained stalled for decades.
