CDA Pushes E-12 Development After Reclaiming 1,135 Kanals
Sohail Ashraf orders faster work during a site inspection as land recovery opens more of the long-delayed sector for development.
ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority Chairman Sohail Ashraf on Monday directed officials to accelerate development work in Sector E-12 following what the authority described as the recovery of 1,135 kanals of state land worth billions of rupees after approximately four decades.
During a visit to the sector, Ashraf reviewed ongoing work and instructed the relevant departments to complete development according to approved plans and prescribed timelines, the CDA said in a statement.
He directed officers to maintain close coordination, resolve obstacles affecting construction and ensure that faster execution did not compromise quality or approved standards.
The inspection was attended by the Member Planning, Director General Works, Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, Deputy Director General Enforcement, Additional Deputy Commissioner General, project director and the relevant assistant commissioner.
According to the authority, recovering the land from encroachments and unauthorised occupation has removed a major impediment to planned development and the provision of infrastructure and civic amenities.
Ashraf said sector development remained a priority under the directions of Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, adding that available resources were being deployed to expedite ongoing projects.
Recovery Follows Successive Clearance Operations
The latest figure of 1,135 kanals updates the CDA’s earlier recovery total. In its statement dated October 19, the authority reported retrieving 1,133 kanals and said infrastructure work was being accelerated on the recovered land.
An earlier CDA update, issued after a September 26 inspection, put the cleared area at approximately 750 kanals. The successive announcements indicate an expanding area available for development, although land recovery and completion of the sector’s infrastructure remain separate stages.
A Prolonged Wait for Developed Plots
Sector E-12 was launched in 1989, but development has remained incomplete amid disputes over possession and compensation for acquired land and houses.
In September that the CDA had begun issuing allotment letters to affected local landowners to facilitate possession. Fifteen letters had been handed over, while development had progressed across much of three sub-sectors, with E-12/4 lagging behind. The report also highlighted the prolonged wait faced by plot purchasers and their families.
Earlier this month, Ashraf set a six-month target for completing E-12’s development.
Monday’s statement directed adherence to prescribed timelines but did not provide a fresh completion date, a percentage of work completed or a schedule for handing over individual plots.
The CDA also said citizens had welcomed its recovery and development efforts. The statement did not identify individual residents or allottee representatives.
For those awaiting developed plots, the next milestone will be completion of the infrastructure needed for possession and residential construction.
