ISLAMABAD: The district administration and Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday launched an operation along Murree Road in Bhara Kahu to retrieve encroached commercial land worth billions of rupees.

As soon as machinery reached the spot, owners of five plazas vacated the buildings, which were immediately sealed by the CDA.

Several other plazas and a couple of petrol pumps along with 25 houses, allegedly built on state land, have obtained stay orders and an operation could not be started against them.

Meanwhile, officials said that in recent days 46 acres along G.T. Road had also been retrieved.

Action part of ongoing drive to reclaim 108 kanals prime state land along Murree Road, says CDA

According to the CDA, the operation formed part of an ongoing drive to reclaim 108 kanals of prime state land along Murree Road, progressively encroached upon over the past two decades.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had visited the site a few days earlier and directed the authorities to take uniform action against all encroachers.

An official said that a detailed survey identified two fuel stations, nine commercial plazas, 25 houses and two godowns constructed on the encroached land.

They said investigations revealed a pattern of encroachment involving land ownership documents pertaining to the adjoining Mouza Kot Hathial. Individuals had purchased land in different khasra numbers of Kot Hathial but subsequently occupied prime state land in Mouza Malpur along Murree Road.

“To verify ownership claims, the administration established a special one-day revenue verification camp where occupants were directed to produce their title documents. Scrutiny revealed that the land identified in several sale deeds was situated approximately 1.5 kilometres away from the properties under actual occupation,” said an official.

He said that legal proceedings were being initiated against sellers implicated in the suspected fraudulent transactions, including registration of FIRs.

“Following verification and demarcation, joint teams secured the peaceful vacation of five commercial plazas on Friday evening, with possession formally taken over by the CDA Enforcement Directorate,” the official said.

Deputy Director General Enforcement CDA Dr Anam Fatima, when contacted, stated that action against encroachments would be taken uniformly across all establishments without discrimination or selective enforcement.

She acknowledged that certain establishments had obtained stay orders from courts and maintained that the authority would fully respect all judicial directions.

The CDA would, however, submit its position before the relevant courts at the earliest opportunity and seek appropriate legal relief to enable further proceedings in accordance with law, she said.

Dr Fatima said that reclaiming state land through transparent verification of revenue records, due legal process and consistent enforcement across all categories of encroachments was a commitment of the administration.

Meanwhile, the ICT and CDA reclaimed prime state land worth Rs2.026 billion along G.T. Road in Sector C-17 during a major anti-encroachment operation conducted in recent days.

The operation resulted in the demolition of illegal structures spread over 116.8 kanals, including 235 shops, two factories, four heavy machinery workshops, two warehouses, two restaurants and 10 houses.

The land was acquired by CDA in 2008 and compensation was paid to the original landowners. However, it was subsequently encroached upon between 2012 and 2020 with extensive commercial and industrial structures established and monetised through illegal business activities.

The operation covered a 4,646-foot stretch along the main G.T. Road, forming part of a 46.8-acre commercial and right-of-way zone.

Dr Fatima said the operation along G.T. Road was aimed at recovering valuable public property that had been illegally occupied and commercially exploited despite payment of compensation.

Earlier, the interior minister had said 108 kanals encroached in Malpur/Bhara Kahu will be removed as demarcation of the land had been completed.

He said that in Malpur area eight museums, including heritage, armed forces and Islamic museums, will be built on 150 acres. He said 108 kanals was under illegal occupation, which will be retrieved.

The minister said people even built farmhouses on government land and had been using them for 20 to 25 years.

It is relevant to note here that in Bhara Kahu a large number of constructions, including commercial plazas and houses, have been made on state land on either side of Murree Road.

Sources said that many influential people, in alleged connivance with CDA officials, had constructed the buildings after encroaching state land.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026