ISLAMABAD: Affected landowners in five undeveloped sectors on Thursday protested against the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for introducing a new rehabilitation policy, which they said will deprive them of their rights.

Holding placards against the CDA management, a large number of people staged the protest demonstration outside National Press Club, chanting slogans against the civic agency for introducing what they said a discriminatory policy, which will deprive thousands of people of their right to get plots as compensation against their land.

The CDA, as per its land and rehabilitation policy, was supposed to provide a five-marla plot to all those who had 300 square feet covered area (house). In the light of the said policy, the CDA announced built-up property awards of all previous sectors, including C-13, whose award was announced in 2023.

The CDA had acquired several sectors, including C-13, C-14, C-15, F-13, D-13, E-13, C-16 and H-16 in 2008-9, under its land-sharing policy. Under this policy, two types of compensation were to be given to affected landowners: land award under which one kanal developed plot against their four kanals and a five-marla plot against 300 square feet covered area (house).

Protesters demand withdrawal of notification and announcement of BuP award in accordance with existing ground realities

Ideally, the CDA should have announced the BuP award on the same date in 2008 when land awards were announced. However, it kept BuP awards pending and announced for several sectors from 2016 to 2023.

However, in May this year, the CDA issued a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) under which the BuP cases will be decided on the basis of houses that existed in 2008-9 through Suparco imagery, when land awards were announced.

Under the SRO, recently the civic agency announced the BuP awards for C-16 and H-16 and stated that the BuP awards for D-13, E-13 and F-13 will also be announced under the SRO. This prompted locals to stage the protest, claiming it was discrimination with them.

They pleaded that BuP award should be announced as per existing houses not of 2008.

A large numbers of people under banner of Islamabad Affectees Alliance protested the press club against the new SRO and demanded the CDA to withdraw the notification and announce BuP award in accordance with the existing ground realities.

Besides others, former deputy mayor and incumbent focal person for Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Syed Zeeshan Naqvi also visited the venue and expressed solidarity with the locals. He assured them that the government will protect their legitimate rights.

The representatives of the Affectees Alliance - Basharat Malik, Zaheer, Uzir Khan, Malik Ghulam Hussain and Malik Sajid - accompanied by PPP leaders Raja Imran Ashraf and Syed Sibtul Haider Bukhari and Central Muslim League Islamabad President Inamul Haq demanded the government look into the issue and ensure justice for the locals whose land had been acquired by CDA.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2025