CDA recovers 1,000+ kanals in Islamabad's E-12 and speeds up roads in E-12, I-12 and C-14

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) says it has recovered more than 1,000 kanals of state land in Islamabad's Sector E-12 and has ordered faster development work there and in Sectors I-12 and C-14, ProPakistani reported on Saturday 17 October. CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf visited E-12 on Friday and told officers to speed up the projects.

What the CDA says is happening

• E-12: more than 1,000 kanals of state land recovered, which the CDA values at billions of rupees and says will be used for development, infrastructure and civic amenities.
• Roads: construction and rehabilitation of sector roads and improvements to major road links.
• Crossings: new and upgraded underpasses and pedestrian bridges.
• I-12 and C-14: infrastructure and residential facilities, with no specific projects named.
• Public spaces: work on Park Enclave, parks, lakes, landscaping and horticulture.

The chairman was accompanied by the CDA's Director General (Works), the chief executive of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) and the area's Assistant Commissioner. The CDA says the work is being done on the direction of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

No costs, deadlines or completion dates were given.

Why E-12 matters to plot owners

E-12, next to E-11, was planned decades ago, and progress has been slow, with land acquisition disputes and encroachments repeatedly cited. Allottees have waited years for possession and services. Land recovery is the step that has to come first: until the CDA controls the land, it cannot lay roads, sewerage and water lines, and owners cannot build. The same applies in I-12 and C-14, newer sectors where buyers are watching for development before values move.

If you own or are buying a plot in these sectors:

1. Check the allotment and possession status with the CDA's Estate Management directorate before paying anything.
2. Verify the plot is not in a disputed or encroached block. The recovered land in E-12 suggests boundaries are still being settled.
3. Budget the taxes. Use the stamp duty calculator for transfer costs in Islamabad and the capital gains tax calculator if you are selling. The marla to square feet converter turns kanals into square feet. At 8 kanals to an acre, 1,000 kanals is about 125 acres.

Looking for an agent? See our list of real estate agents in Islamabad.