ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) has failed to restart the stalled Green Enclave-I housing scheme and Lifestyle Residency apartment project, prompting Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada to express “grave concern” over the prolonged delay in the two projects.

Bhara Kahu Green Enclave was launched in 2009, while the Lifestyle Residency project was launched in 2017.

Thousands of allottees, despite depositing payments, have been running from pillar to post to get their apartments or plots, but the FGEHA has yet to complete the projects.

Among other agenda items, the FGEHA Board took up the two projects, and the minister expressed “grave concern” over the inordinate delay. It is relevant to note that the Ministry of Housing has been expressing concerns over the issue for years, but there has been no serious progress on the part of the FGEHA.

“Federal Minister for Housing and Works, while chairing the 50th Executive Board Meeting of the FGEHA, expressed grave concern over the prolonged delays in the completion of the Green Enclave-I and Lifestyle Residency projects and directed the Authority to take immediate and effective measures to address the issues,” read an official statement issued after the meeting.

At the outset of the meeting, the housing minister questioned FGEHA authorities over the inordinate delays in the projects and sought detailed explanations regarding the lack of progress.

“The minister stated that he had repeatedly been required to respond before Parliamentary and Senate committees, as well as various oversight forums, regarding the progress of these projects. He expressed concern that, despite the passage of nearly three years, the projects had not achieved the desired progress,” read the statement.

It said that, taking notice of protests announced by the allottees of Green Enclave-I and their approach to the Federal Ombudsman, the minister emphasised that their concerns could not be ignored and that the FGEHA must demonstrate transparency, accountability and efficiency in resolving the issues and take all possible measures for the completion of the projects.

He directed that all pending inquiry reports be submitted within the stipulated timelines and called for immediate action on their findings.

He observed that unnecessary delays in the completion of inquiries were further aggravating the situation and creating uncertainty for senior bureaucrats as well as lower-grade officers and officials who had invested their hard-earned money in the hope of securing their own homes but continued to wait for the completion of the projects.

Mr Pirzada further directed the FGEHA Board to take appropriate action in accordance with the findings and recommendations of the inquiry reports, ensuring that the process remained fair, transparent, justified and timely.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Green Enclave-I allottees said the Board meeting failed to produce any fruitful or practical outcome beyond discussion, adding that the allottees had already announced a protest outside the FGEHA headquarters in the last week of August.

“We were expecting that the Board meeting would bring a clear decision, a definite timeline and a commitment to resume development work on the ground. We can no longer afford another round of assurances,” said Chaudhry Amjad Ali, an allottee.

Professor Tahir Mahmood, another allottee, said the outcome of the Board meeting had deepened concerns among the affected members.

“We were repeatedly promised that the Board would deliver good news, but once again, there has been no concrete progress. Allottees’ patience is running out, and they now expect practical action rather than further assurances,” he said.

Meanwhile, the board approved FGEHA’s annual development budget for financial year 2026-27, amounting to Rs20 billion, including the carry-forward of Rs2,807.660 million in development receipts pertaining to fiscal year 2025-26, effective from July 1, 2026. The development target for the financial year was Rs15 billion.

It is relevant to note that in the last budget for 2025-26, FGEHA’s development expenditure remained at Rs6.698 billion against receipts of Rs9.5 billion.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2026