Naqvi says land-grabbing mafia, illegal constructions to be completely eradicated from Islamabad

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday vowed that illegal constructions would be “completely eradicated” from Islamabad.

He made the remarks during a special meeting he and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry were chairing, the interior ministry said on the social media platform X.

“Land-grabbing mafia and illegal constructions will be completely eradicated from Islamabad,” the ministry quoted Naqvi as saying.

He vowed, “Operation Clean-up would continue without any pressure until it achieves its final result.”

For the past two months, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been conducting anti-encroachment operations in Islamabad, with a special focus on katchi abadis (informal settlements), whose residents have strongly protested the actions.

According to CDA’s rules, 34 societies/schemes were supposed to transfer amenity land in the name of the civic agency for further utilisation. However, despite the passage of years, CDA has failed to get the land. There are reports that many societies have already eaten up the land after carving out plots.

After removing the Muslim Colony in the Bari Imam area, CDA also conducted an operation against Rimsha Colony at H-9 and Shapar Colony of G-7, where residents had staged a protest in March against the move.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), along with several civil society organisations, had called on authorities to halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations in Islamabad’s low-income areas and katchi abadis.

In October 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a joint inquiry committee to thoroughly probe alleged land-grabbing by the “land mafia” in the federal capital and to fix responsibility on those involved in it.

Sewage treatment plants, Convention Centre discussed

Meanwhile, the meeting held on Wednesday also reviewed the progress of several ongoing and planned projects in the federal capital, including the construction of 11 new police stations.

It was decided during the meeting to set up sewage treatment plants to prevent untreated sewage from entering the Rawal Dam.

Various suggestions were reviewed regarding sewage plants at streams which feed into Rawal Dam, the interior ministry said, adding that this would provide clean water to residents.

Rawal Dam has been receiving untreated sewage and solid waste via streams, particularly through the Korang Nullah. A mega project under which three sewage treatment plants were to be built in the reservoir’s catchment areas had previously faced inordinate delay.

During the meeting, Naqvi also directed the relevant authorities to complete ongoing “development work” at Parliament Lodges by June 30.

The meeting reviewed the upgradation plan for the Capital Police College, which would include new classrooms, a mess, and barracks for personnel under training.

While being briefed about the plans to construct another Convention Centre, Naqvi was informed that three international companies have submitted their designs and that the process of evaluation was underway.

The minister was told that legal requirements were being fulfilled and that construction work for the Convention Centre would begin by the last week of June.