Islamabad Capital Territory

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) says more than 60 percent of development work in Islamabad’s Sector E-12 has been completed, as construction progresses across its four sub-sectors following the recovery of 1,135 kanals of government land. In a press release issued on November 6, the authority said work was being accelerated under the directions of CDA Chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf.

In E-12/4, earthwork has been completed, while construction of the road base and sub-base, along with the drainage system, is underway. Earthwork has also been completed on the Khayaban-e-Iqbal Service Road and the South and East service roads.
Progress is continuing in the other sub-sectors. In E-12/3, TST work has been completed in 15 streets, while earthwork and base construction are in progress in the remaining streets. In both E-12/1 and E-12/2, TST work has been completed in 25 streets, with work continuing on the remaining roads. Ashraf said the authority was removing obstacles to the sector’s development in accordance with the law. He said 1,135 kanals of government land, valued at billions of rupees, had been recovered after about four decades and that encroachments on public land would not be tolerated.

The CDA chairman said completing development work in E-12 and other sectors remained a priority, with available resources being used to speed up construction. The authority said the project would improve residential facilities and help meet Islamabad’s growing housing needs.

The Margalla Avenue Extension project in Islamabad is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, several months ahead of its official April deadline, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said during an inspection of the site near Sangjani.

Mohsin Naqvi visited the project late Thursday and reviewed construction progress with the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Islamabad Inspector General of Police and senior technical officials. The CDA chairman briefed him on the work underway and the remaining construction activities. Work at the site includes piling for the proposed interchange bridge, foundation excavation and construction of retaining and abutment walls.

Teams are also carrying out earthworks and preparing the road’s sub-base. The CDA is relocating utility lines and clearing construction sites to resume work in areas affected by land-related and technical issues.
The extension is intended to improve traffic movement and strengthen links between Islamabad and the motorway network.

Mohsin Naqvi said the new interchange would make travel easier for commuters arriving from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and for passengers heading to Islamabad International Airport.

NEPRA Chairman Waseem Mukhtar has urged agencies working under the Power Division to comply with the regulator’s directions, warning that continued delays in providing required information could jeopardise a package that requires upward tariff adjustments in two consecutive reviews.

In an additional note, Mukhtar described the lack of coordination among government agencies as unfortunate. He said the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division had repeatedly failed to submit reliable data in the required format, despite letters and directions issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

The chairman said suspending the package at this stage would not be appropriate and that the ministry should be given another opportunity to submit the information. However, he warned that missing the stipulated timelines could produce an adverse outcome in the second review, potentially resulting in the package’s suspension or termination. Mukhtar also cautioned that any entity failing to provide the required information within the prescribed timeframe could face legal proceedings under the applicable legal framework.

He asked that his observations be placed before the federal minister and secretary of the Ministry of Energy’s Power Division for consideration and implementation.