CDA Reclaims 1,000 Kanals in E-12 After Four Decades
More than 1,000 kanals of acquired land have now been retrieved in Islamabad’s long-delayed Sector E-12, removing a major obstacle to development nearly four decades after thousands of plots were sold to allottees.
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) says it has reclaimed more than 1,000 kanals of valuable acquired land in Sector E-12, marking one of the most significant steps yet towards resolving the decades-long development deadlock in one of Islamabad’s oldest stalled residential sectors.
The development carries particular significance because E-12 has remained incomplete for nearly four decades. The sector was launched in 1989 and more than 4,000 plots were sold, but disputes over land possession, compensation and built-up property repeatedly delayed development and prevented many allottees from receiving possession. Some original allottees have died while waiting for their plots, according to previous reporting on the sector.
Land Recovery Crosses 1,000 Kanals
The latest land retrieval represents a substantial expansion of the operation reported only days earlier. On September 26, CDA said approximately 750 kanals of acquired land had been retrieved from unauthorised occupation. By October 2, the authority said the cumulative figure had crossed 1,000 kanals, with the recovered land valued at billions of rupees.
According to CDA, the operation involved coordination among its Estate, Planning, Building, Environment, Administration, Finance and Enforcement formations, alongside the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory administration and Islamabad Police.
The authority says clearing the land has removed a major impediment to carrying out development according to the approved layout plan. Work on roads, basic infrastructure and other civic facilities is now being accelerated in the sector.
Renewed Efforts to Resolve E-12 Issues
The breakthrough follows renewed efforts this year to address both development and compensation issues. In September, CDA began handing over allotment letters to eligible E-12 affectees after scrutiny of their claims, an initiative aimed at resolving outstanding claims while enabling the authority to secure possession of land required for development.
E-12’s development record has remained particularly difficult. As recently as July 2026, officials said around half of the development work in the sector remained pending, although approximately 2,200 plots were ready for possession. One sub-sector continued to lag significantly behind the others.
Land Possession Remains Key Challenge
Land possession has historically been one of the central obstacles. Earlier CDA attempts to retrieve land date back years: an operation in February 2019 recovered about 80 kanals on its first day, while development activity was restarted again in 2022 following another land-retrieval operation.
The current operation therefore represents another major attempt to break that longstanding cycle. CDA says development activity will continue on the newly retrieved land while legitimate claims of affected people will be processed under applicable legal and procedural requirements.
The authority has described the recovery of more than 1,000 kanals as an important step towards completing E-12 and protecting acquired public land. For thousands of allottees who have waited since 1989, however, the key measure of progress will be how quickly the latest land recovery translates into completed infrastructure and actual possession of developed plots.
