ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to clear pending land and built-up property compensation cases of Islamabad residents whose land had been acquired by the authority.

The CDA had acquired land from locals, but many compensation cases have been facing prolonged delays.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, which met with Member National Assembly (MNA) Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz in the chair, discussed, among other agenda items, the calling-attention notice moved by MNAs Anjum Aqeel Khan and Malik Ibrar Ahmed.

The notice, moved on September 29, pertained to delays in payments for land acquired by the CDA in Sectors E-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16 and H-16. Sector E-12 was acquired by the CDA in the 1970s and 1980s, but some compensation cases are still pending, resulting in delays in its development. The CDA launched the sector in 1989, but despite the passage of 36 years, it has still failed to complete the development work. While work in two sub-sectors has been substantially completed, the remaining two are facing delays due to built-up property issues.

Committee seeks resolution of E-12 and other stalled sectors

“CDA should clear all genuine pending cases and should outrightly reject all false claims,” an official said.

It is relevant to note that CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa recently directed Deputy Commissioner CDA Sardar Asif to resolve all pending genuine cases without further delay and to keep the CDA management informed.

Besides Sector E-12, the other sectors mentioned in the notice were acquired by the CDA in 2008 under the land-sharing formula, under which the CDA received four-kanal plots with a commitment to provide one-kanal developed plots to locals, along with small plots against built-up properties.

However, built-up property cases in most of these sectors remain pending with the CDA.

During the committee meeting, the CDA chairman informed members that, on the panel’s direction, a meeting had been held with the movers of the calling-attention notice and their concerns were reviewed. However, further consultations were deemed necessary, he said.

The committee directed the CDA chairman to convene a meeting on December 2, 2025, with MNAs Anjum Aqeel Khan, Ibrar Ahmed, Aqeel Malik and Syed Rafiullah to resolve the issues and submit a report in the next meeting.

Meanwhile, the committee also took up two other issues relating to the CDA, including wages for employees of Parliament Lodges and the Blue Area Food Street.

MNA Syed Rafiullah raised the issue of workers at the Parliament Lodges, noting that many were not being paid the government-mandated minimum wage.

He said that wages should be transferred directly to workers’ bank accounts to ensure transparency. The committee directed the CDA to comply with the minimum-wage requirement and ensure payments through bank transfers or cheques.

The CDA agreed to implement these directives.

The committee also discussed the establishment of a Food Street in Blue Area and directed the CDA chairman to assign an officer to consult local traders and submit a report in the next meeting.

The committee also discussed issues related to the Intelligence Bureau Employees Cooperative Housing Society (IBECHS) and Gulberg Greens.

The Circle Registrar, Cooperative Housing Societies, ICT, informed the committee that certain government dues remained pending. The committee directed that all outstanding dues be cleared without delay.

It further directed that housing societies compensate the government for the use of village roads or damage to gas pipelines and ensure restoration or rerouting where required.

The committee also directed the IBECHS secretary to obtain the necessary NOCs for SNGPL pipelines and installations. Additionally, the society was instructed to provide details of total plots, allotted plots and plot sizes in Gulberg Greens and Gulberg Residencia and rectify any irregularities.

Earlier, MNA Syed Rafiullah again raised the issue of alleged misbehaviour by the SHO of Banigala Police Station with the president and members of the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council.

He stated that the brief submitted by the senior superintendent of police (Operations), Islamabad, was unsatisfactory and stressed that the matter related to parliamentary integrity rather than personal grievances.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025