ISLAMABAD: An operation to vacate buildings of the One Constitution Avenue project, a skyscraper in the federal capital, was halted on Friday evening following the intervention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while occupants spent the day shifting their belongings in a sombre manner.

The prime minister directed the Islamabad administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to refrain from taking any action in the matter until a final decision is taken by him.

Earlier, the Islamabad administration and CDA, backed by a heavy contingent of police, rushed to the site late on Thursday night and issued eviction notices giving residents hardly 12 hours to vacate the building by afternoon, putting a large number of families in distress.

Residents had begun vacating their apartments on a voluntary basis amid a heavy police presence. They were seen shifting their belongings on mini trucks as the building remained under the control of the local administration and police.

Residents had been given 12 hours to quit apartments as lease stands cancelled

Police personnel were also seen moving inside the 23-storey twin-tower building.

One of the residents, Nadeem Haque, former vice chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, said on social media that he had rented an apartment in the building. He said he was “jolted awake by heavy banging on the door” at 1am. According to him, armed police officers appeared aggressive, showed no court orders or documents, and gave no explanation.

The eviction operation followed Islamabad High Court orders issued on Thursday, which upheld the CDA’s decision to cancel the plot due to payment default.

The construction company, out of a total Rs17.5 billion, decided by the Supreme Court in 2019 and to be paid over eight years in instalments, has so far deposited only Rs2.9 billion.

In 2004-05, the CDA had auctioned the plot for the construction of a five-star hotel, with serviced apartments as part of the project, for Rs4.8 billion.

However, the company did not pay the amount within the stipulated time. Instead of constructing the hotel, it built around 250 residential apartments and sold them in the market. Residents are now being asked to vacate the building. Besides locals, a number of foreigners are also residing in these apartments on rent, including staff of several embassies.

In 2019, a bench of the Supreme Court headed by then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar ordered the company to pay Rs17.5 billion for the entire project in eight years in instalments. However, the company paid only one instalment and continued selling apartments.

“It seems the government wanted to get the building vacated during the weekend, fearing residents could obtain a stay order from the court on Monday. This is injustice to the people,” said a resident while shifting luggage. “The CDA gave the builder years to make payments for the plot, but we bona fide purchasers were given only a few hours’ ultimatum,” he said.

“Back in 2010, we purchased this apartment for Rs50 million. If the building was illegal, why did the CDA remain silent? Why did it allow the builder to keep selling apartments?” said another apartment owner, who requested anonymity.

Apartments in the building are also reportedly owned by prominent personalities, including PTI founder Imran Khan, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Shandana Gulzar Aurangzeb, former minister Burjees Tahir and former caretaker prime minister Nasirul Mulk.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a high-level committee to review the issue and halted authorities from taking further action. The committee is headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and includes Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the cabinet secretary, and the commerce secretary.

“The committee has been tasked with examining all aspects of the issue and submitting a comprehensive report to the prime minister within one week,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. “During this period, all affected individuals will be able to present their concerns before the committee, which will hear all parties and stakeholders without discrimination,” it added. “Until a final decision is taken, the Islamabad administration and the CDA will refrain from taking any action.”

“The prime minister has issued directives for the formation of this special committee to ensure that the requirements of justice are fully met in the One Constitution Avenue case,” the statement said.

Earlier, on Thursday night, social media was flooded with videos showing a large number of police personnel at the site. Reports claimed that police entered the building past midnight and asked residents to vacate. Some also alleged that doors and locks were broken.

Separately, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the company behind the building had repeatedly been issued notices by the CDA to vacate.

He said that with the recent action, the authority had established the “writ of the state against a company that has been evading accountability for the past 20 years”.

The minister said the BNP group was awarded the lease for Rs4.8 billion to construct a “five-star hotel and serviced apartments”, but failed to make the payment.

“They took a Rs3.5 billion loan from the Bank of Punjab, but fraudulently mortgaged the property, took money from the bank, and paid the CDA,” he said, adding that the company later defaulted on the bank loan, after which the case was referred to the National Accountability Bureau.

“When NAB summoned the company for defaulting on payments, they pleaded that they did not have the funds and offered to surrender their commercial shops and apartments,” he said.

“But they were not the owners and were not supposed to build anything other than a commercial hotel or serviced apartments,” the minister said, adding that the company had constructed “250 residential apartments in direct violation of the lease agreement”.

He said the CDA had subsequently cancelled the lease, but the matter went to the Supreme Court, which restored it and ruled that in case of default, the CDA would have the right to terminate the lease.

In 2023, as the company continued to default, the CDA terminated the lease and took possession of the building, he said.

He added that the company continued to occupy the building illegally by “violating the lease terms, deceiving people, and defaulting on payments”. “Whether it is informal settlements or a building such as this, the writ of the state will be established,” he asserted.

Referring to the Islamabad High Court orders issued on Thursday, Chaudhry said it was the fourth time a judgment had been passed against the company. “On all four occasions, the CDA implemented the orders, including the latest one,” he said.

He added that the company had constructed 253 apartments, of which 184 were vacant, while 69 were partially or fully occupied.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026