ISLAMABAD – Buying a plot in Islamabad without verification of housing scheme or sector could lead to regret as Capital Development Authority (CDA) identified ovfer 150 illegal housing schemes across the capital, raising serious concerns over property investments, legal ownership and the fate of buyers’ hard-earned savings.
From Islamabad Expressway to Lehtrar Road, Simly Dam Road, Park Road and Bani Gala, dozens of private housing developments have appeared on the civic authority’s list of unauthorised schemes, exposing potential buyers to legal complications, financial losses and uncertainty over property ownership.
Over 100 of 166 schemes are located in Zone 4 alone, making it the capital’s largest concentration of housing projects identified as illegal or unauthorised by CDA. CDA records show that numerous schemes have been identified as operating without mandatory regulatory approval, while certain extensions of previously approved housing developments have also been declared unauthorised.
The scale of unauthorised housing development in Islamabad has become increasingly apparent during 2026, with CDA’s published records identifying substantially more projects than earlier compilations.
A major concern involves developers advertising or selling residential plots before obtaining the necessary approval from CDA. Under the CDA Ordinance 1960, ICT Zoning Regulations 1992 and revised housing development procedures, including regulatory changes introduced in 2020 and 2023, private housing societies must complete two separate stages of approval.
The first requires approval of the Layout Plan (LOP), which outlines the project’s proposed roads, residential plots, infrastructure and other planning arrangements.
The second involves verification of land ownership documents, completion of mortgage and transfer requirements, submission of engineering designs and fulfilment of other legal formalities. Only after satisfying these requirements can a developer secure a formal No Objection Certificate (NOC).
CDA regulations restrict developers from starting development work or marketing and selling plots without obtaining the required NOC. Approval of a layout plan alone does not authorise these activities.
CDA issued multiple notices concerning the sealing of site offices and management facilities associated with illegal housing developments. Among the projects mentioned in enforcement proceedings were Babar Enclave, Saif Garden, Royal City, Royal Homes/Residencia, Rawal Enclave, Mufti Mehmood Enclave, Madina Enclave and Green Fields.
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