ISLAMABAD: Out of thousands of allottees, 80 got possession of plots for starting construction of their houses in Sky Garden Project – a joint initiative of Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and Commoners Sky Garden.

Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, formally handed over possession letters to allottees at a ceremony held on Thursday at the project site.

“Sky Gardens is a flagship joint venture of FGEHA and Commoners Sky Garden, agreed and signed in 2019. Located in a scenic hilly area off the New Murree Expressway, the project spans over 11,000 kanals, out of which 7,200 kanals have been transferred to the FGEHA.

The project primarily caters to federal government employees registered under the 2009 membership drive,” says a press release issued by ministry of housing.

It said that despite encountering multiple delays over the years including inquiries by NAB and scrutiny by the Supreme Court, the project has now picked up pace following clearance from relevant institutions.

Construction in this project delayed for two years since 2020 due to proceedings in NAB. The project comprises 10 residential blocks where the development work is actively underway, and as part of the first phase, 80 allottees have received possession of fully developed plots spanning 250 kanals in the priority area of Block A, which is free of all hurdles and equipped with all essential amenities, the press release said.

The press release said that addressing the media, Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada expressed deep sense of fulfillment that after a long and difficult wait, allottees are finally witnessing progress. “It is a matter of great contentment for me to see a long-standing promise materialised. I empathize with those who invested their hard-earned money and endured years of uncertainty, they are now beginning to see their dreams come true. This is the first drop of rain, and I am confident that other stalled projects will also gain pace,” he said.

The minister underscored that since taking oath as the Federal Minister for Housing and Works, he has remained firmly committed to the timely delivery of housing projects and the eradication of corruption within the Ministry’s attached departments. He strongly condemned the delays and inefficiencies of the past and reiterated his zero-tolerance policy toward mismanagement and malpractice. Minister further announced that a summary will soon be moved to allocate plots for the families of martyrs from police and intelligence agencies, recognizing their ultimate sacrifices for the country. During the ceremony, Secretary Housing and Works and Director General FGEHA also addressed the participants.

DG FGEHA briefed the audience on the projects’ progress and expressed optimism that three additional blocks will be ready for possession by December 2025.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2025