Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that 150 housing societies in Islamabad are operating illegally and that action is underway against them as the government intensifies its efforts to reclaim encroached public land across the federal capital.

The minister stated that illegal occupation of government property would not be tolerated and that all land found under unauthorised occupation would be recovered.

Naqvi made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during visits to the Kashmir Chowk Underpass construction project and other development sites in Islamabad.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry also accompanied him during the inspections.

Addressing the issue of unauthorised housing developments, Naqvi said the authorities were taking action against approximately 150 housing societies identified as illegal.

He emphasised that enforcement measures should not be limited to those occupying government land but should also extend to officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) who had allegedly ignored or facilitated encroachments.

The interior minister said government land and residential properties under unauthorised occupation were being identified and that encroachments would be removed without discrimination.

During his visit to the Bara Kahu area, Naqvi directed the relevant authorities to reclaim 108 kanals of government land from illegal occupation.

He announced plans to establish three museums on the recovered property, including an Army Museum.

The proposed development forms part of wider plans to establish museums and cultural institutions in Islamabad aimed at preserving Pakistan's historical and national heritage.

Meanwhile, the minister inspected progress on the Kashmir Chowk Underpass, a major road infrastructure project intended to improve traffic movement at one of Islamabad's important intersections.

Naqvi said construction had been underway for 12 days and that teams were working around the clock to complete the project as quickly as possible.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

Pakistan's construction sector has recorded an upward revision in its annual growth estimate, with the National Accounts Committee (NAC) increasing the sector's growth rate for fiscal year 2025-26 to 6.30 percent from the previously estimated 5.73 percent.

The revised figures indicate stronger construction activity during the financial year, primarily supported by increased government expenditure on public-sector construction and infrastructure development projects.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the revised estimates were approved during the 118th meeting of the National Accounts Committee, held in Islamabad on October 19, 2026.

The committee reviewed and approved updated annual and quarterly national accounts estimates for the financial year ending June 2026.

The revision represents an increase of 0.57 percentage points in the construction sector's estimated annual growth rate, highlighting improved performance despite a modest downward adjustment in the country's overall economic growth.

The NAC revised Pakistan's GDP growth estimate for FY2025-26 downward to 3.65 percent from the earlier projection of 3.70 percent.

The overall industrial sector's annual growth estimate was also reduced to 3.34 percent from the previously reported 3.51 percent, reflecting uneven performance across different industries.

Despite these developments, construction remained among the industrial activities recording positive growth.

During the fourth quarter of FY2025 26, covering April to June 2026, construction expanded by 3.52 percent compared with the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

According to the revised national accounts, the improvement was supported by increased public-sector infrastructure spending and a 1.9 percent rise in cement production during the quarter.

In contrast, the broader industrial sector contracted by 4.70 percent during the same period, while overall GDP expanded by 2.00 percent.

The figures suggest that construction maintained positive momentum even as several other industrial activities experienced weaker performance.

Pakistan's construction industry plays a significant role in supporting economic activity across several interconnected sectors, including cement, steel, building materials, transportation and construction related services.

Higher spending on public infrastructure projects can support demand for construction materials and associated services while potentially generating employment opportunities.

The upward revision is also relevant to Pakistan's real estate and housing markets, although stronger construction output does not necessarily indicate an equivalent rise in residential plot prices or property resale values.

Public infrastructure development, private residential construction, housing society development and secondary-market property transactions represent different but interconnected segments of the broader construction and real estate economy.

Property values remain dependent on location, infrastructure availability, legal and regulatory conditions, development progress, market supply and prevailing buyer demand.

The latest national accounts therefore provide an indication of stronger overall construction activity during FY2025 26 rather than direct evidence of rising property prices across Pakistan.

While the revised construction growth estimate reflects the contribution of increased public sector expenditure, further market specific data would be required to assess how this improvement has affected private housing development, residential transactions and investment activity in individual property markets.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt has said the bureau has initiated federal-level power-sector cases and is prepared to pursue alleged wrongdoing involving power plants.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Butt described the undertaking as substantial and said NAB was ready to confront powerful interests. He said preparatory work on the power-sector matters had been completed.

The chairman also indicated that NAB would not engage in further negotiations over tariffs. However, he did not publicly name the power plants concerned or disclose the specific allegations against them.

Separately, NAB’s third-quarter performance report, released on Monday, stated that assets worth Rs 9.18 trillion were recovered during July–September 2026. The bureau put the value of government assets recovered so far this year at Rs 14.6 trillion.

According to the report, cumulative recoveries since March 2023 reached Rs 26.1 trillion. These figures represent NAB’s reported valuation of recovered assets, including land.

Butt said the recoveries included 235,622 kanals of Pakistan Railways land valued at Rs 6.78 trillion. A further 866,299 acres belonging to various provincial departments were recovered, with an estimated value of Rs 2.395 trillion.

The chairman’s remarks on the power sector concerned investigations and preparations for enforcement action. Without the names of the plants or details of the allegations, the statement does not establish wrongdoing or liability on the part of any specific entity.