NAB recovers Rs66bn land from private housing schemes
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
ISLAMABAD – A major enforcement action in Islamabad led to recovery of large tracts of land from Gulberg Residencia and Margalla View housing societies. National Accountability Bureau moved to transfer thousands of kanals of allegedly delayed or misused amenity land back to the Capital Development Authority. The recovered land, valued around Rs66 billions, is part of a broader effort to restore public utility spaces and tighten oversight of private housing developments. The country’s apex anti-graft watchdog executed sweeping recovery operation, reclaiming and transferring a staggering 6,500 kanals of prime amenity and public utility land from two major private housing societies to the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The action was conducted to rectify “deep-rooted irregularities” involving delayed handovers, alleged illegal occupation, and misuse of land originally reserved for public welfare. The entire transfer process pushed through under legal and regulatory frameworks under the direct supervision of NAB Islamabad, Rawalpindi DG Waqar Chauhan. In first phase, authorities transferred over 5000 kanals from Gulberg Residencia and around 1000 kanals from Margalla View D-17. Both tracts were formally handed over to CDA in a ceremonial event described by officials as a “landmark enforcement milestone.” More housing society cases are now reportedly in advanced stages of completion. The authorities further confirmed that another 4,500 kanals from additional housing societies are expected to be transferred in the coming weeks. So far, approximately 4,793 kanals of public and amenity land across multiple housing schemes have already been legally transferred through mutation in favor of the regulator. NAB makes possible transfer of thousands of kanals in Gulberg Residencia, Margalla View D-17