The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad has successfully reclaimed 6,500 kanals of public land from two private housing societies and handed it back to the Capital Development Authority (CDA). This land was originally meant for public facilities like parks and schools but had been illegally held or misused by private developers for years.
Details of the Land Recovery
The recovery happened in two main locations:
- Gulberg Residencia: Recovered roughly 5,485 kanals.
- Margalla View (D-17): Recovered 999 kanals.
Financial Impact:
The total value of this recovered land is massive. Based on official government rates, it is worth about Rs. 41 billion, but its actual market value for public use is estimated at Rs. 25.43 billion. In total, land worth Rs. 66 billion is now back in the hands of the government.
Long-Standing Issues Resolved
NAB officials, led by Director General Waqar Ahmed Chauhan, worked closely with the CDA to finalize these transfers. This intervention solved problems that had been stuck for decades.
- Example: In the Civil Employees Housing Society, a land dispute that had been dragging on for 31 years was finally settled.
What’s Next?
This is only the first phase. NAB expects to recover another 4,500 kanals from other housing societies in the next few weeks.
Future Housing Plans
In a separate meeting, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (Retd) Nazir Ahmed met with the Federal Minister for Housing, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. They discussed:
- Protecting Assets: Reversing past decisions that caused the government to lose money.
- Modern Projects: Using international housing models to start new pilot projects in Islamabad.
- Karachi Property Issues: The Housing Secretary reported that over 3,000 government homes in Karachi (covering 512 acres) are currently trapped in legal battles or occupied illegally.
The Goal: NAB and the Ministry of Housing plan to create a new, transparent system to manage government property and prevent corruption in the future.
