Tele Gardens Housing Scheme faces CDA crackdown over ‘illegal green land development’

ISLAMABAD – Tele Gardens Housing Scheme in Islamabad’s Sector F-17 has come under CDA scrutiny after authorities issued notices over alleged construction on land reserved as green space. Residents of real estate controversy are in fear as Capital Development Authority (CDA) launched sweeping enforcement operation, declaring hundreds of homes illegal over alleged construction on land reserved for green spaces. The once-stable residential enclave in Sector F-17 along Fateh Jang Road, developed in the early 1990s and long regarded as a settled middle-class community with completed infrastructure, paved roads, and utilities, is now facing intense uncertainty and panic. CDA issued notices to 127 properties, ordering locals to take immediate corrective action, citing violations of the approved layout plan and alleged encroachment on designated green zones. Tele Gardens housing scheme received formal approval some two 2 decades back but CDA maintains that the land was subsequently transferred to its control on June 24, 2005 through a transfer deed, arguing that any construction on designated green areas constitutes a clear breach of planning laws. The enforcement drive has sparked anger, shock, and fear among residents, many of whom insist they purchased plots in good faith, completed payments years ago, and constructed homes without any indication of irregularities. Homeowners are now accusing authorities of targeting ordinary middle-class families while allegedly failing to hold planners and approvers accountable. The controversy has revived memories of past demolition drives in areas such as Bari Imam and surrounding localities, where large-scale operations led to the destruction of hundreds of homes and displacement of tens of thousands of people, estimated between 23,000 and 40,000 residents. Those earlier crackdowns also saw violent confrontations, including an April 14 clash between protesters and law enforcement that resulted in injuries, arson incidents, arrests,