ISLAMABAD: Two pet projects of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose foundation stones were laid by him in Sector H-16 before the start of construction, have been embroiled in controversies that resulted in the shifting of their sites from the sector.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre (JMCRC) in Sector H-16 in July 2024, while the foundation stone of the Daanish University of Emerging Sciences was laid in the same sector in March 2025.

JMCRC is part of the Uraan Pakistan Programme and is being directly overseen by the prime minister. However, before its takeoff under Uraan, the project faced a major setback as its site was shifted to Sector H-11/2.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allocated land in Sector H-16 for both projects with 600 kanal for JMCRC and 100 kanal for Daanish University.

JMCRC moved to H-11/2, Daanish University likely along Park Road after protests and ownership issues

However, it has now emerged that the land was not encumbrance-free, as the CDA owed payments to local landowners who had been protesting for compensation and houses in accordance with current market rates.

Last month, after hearing unconfirmed news that the prime minister was set to visit Sector H-16 to review progress, hundreds of people staged a protest at the site against the CDA for not clearing their dues. They demanded payment in accordance with market rates. Although the prime minister did not visit the site, the protesters’ message reached him.

Later, sources said it was decided to shift both projects to other locations. According to the sources, JMCRC will be constructed in Sector H-11/2, where the CDA has identified around 50 acres of land. Meanwhile, a site along Park Road has almost been finalised for the Daanish University.

“The site of JMCRC has been finalised in Sector H-11/2, while two sites , one near the Daanish School in the Kuri area and another near Park Road, remained under consideration for the Daanish University project. The Park Road site is almost finalised as the majority of officials are in favour of this site,” said a CDA source.

It is pertinent to mention that the CDA acquired Sectors H-16 and I-17 in 2008 at Rs 840,000 per kanal. However, payments to a large number of landowners in these sectors are still pending, and they are demanding compensation in accordance with market rates. They also raised objections over the built-up property (BuP) award, which was recently announced on the basis of 2008 Google imagery. Locals argue that their existing houses should have been included in the BuP award announced a couple of months ago.

Sources said the prime minister expressed displeasure over CDA officials for selecting controversial sites for the projects and directed them to shift both schemes to alternative locations.

Subsequently, the CDA identified new sites in Sector H-11 and along Park Road.

It is also relevant to note that soil testing and construction of a boundary wall for JMCRC had already been carried out in Sector H-16, where the CDA had allocated 600 kanal for the project. Meanwhile, the CDA has recently finalised the process of shortlisting firms for the construction of JMCRC.

CDA officials said a total of 11 joint ventures (JVs) of local and international firms applied, out of which four were declared qualified. Currently, the request for proposal (RFP) document is being finalised by the consultant and will be floated in the press to invite bids from the four JVs.

The PC-I worth Rs212 billion has already been approved for the project, which will be executed in two phases. In the first phase, costing around Rs80 billion, a hospital will be constructed. In the second phase, a medical college and other related facilities, including hostels, will be developed.

The project is an initiative of the federal government, with the federal health ministry and the CDA executing it. Later, the Jinnah Medical Company will take over the project.

Sources said the estimated cost of the first phase was around Rs80 billion, as it is being executed under the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the medical complex was performed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on July 21, 2024. Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the complex would be one of the region’s best medical centres, where deserving people would receive 100 per cent free medical treatment.

“This is a gift by the government not only for the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but also for people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan,” Mr Sharif said.

Once completed, he added, the medical complex would offer world-class healthcare facilities with specialised sections for heart, kidney, lung and cancer diseases, among others.

Meanwhile, the Daanish University project has also been shifted from Sector H-16 and is now likely to be built along Park Road.

Several CDA officers confirmed the shifting of the two projects. However, the CDA spokesperson could not be reached for comments.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2026