ISLAMABAD – A Manhattan-inspired district behind PM House, towers standing at least 600 feet and a sprawling Safari Park are among ambitious projects Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced in a push to attract investment into the federal capital.
Addressing Saudi-Pak Real Estate Expo in Lahore on Friday, Naqvi outlined a development offer that would allow investors to acquire land for high-rise hotels, shopping malls and residential complexes without paying the land price upfront.
The government would instead seek a share of the completed projects’ inventory, with auction bidding starting at 15%. Investors offering a higher share could compete for plots measuring one, three and six acres. The arrangement would remove the immediate cash payment for land while giving the government a stake in the resulting development.
2-Year Deadline for Sky high Towers
Naqvi said developers would face two principal conditions: their buildings must stand at least 600 feet tall, and projects must be completed within two years of approval. To boost construction, Ministry of Interior would provide a one-window approval system, which he said could process applications within three to four weeks.
Investors would not have to move between government offices to obtain the necessary approvals, he assured the audience, pledging security for both Pakistani and foreign participants.
A proposed 5-member auction committee would bring together representatives of the National Accountability Bureau, Special Investment Facilitation Council, Federal Investigation Agency and Capital Development Authority under the chairmanship of a judge.
Naqvi said it remained undecided whether a serving or retired judge would head the committee. Bringing the relevant institutions into the process early, he added, would help address concerns and prevent obstacles during development.
The minister’s wider vision includes a new urban district covering 1,000 acres behind the Prime Minister’s House, with residential and commercial complexes surrounding a central park and a lake. Naqvi said the development would take inspiration from Manhattan and operate under a separate framework of laws, rules and standard operating procedures.
The proposal places high-rise construction and landscaped public spaces at the centre of an ambitious expansion of Islamabad’s residential and commercial offerings.
450-Acre Safari Park
Naqvi also announced plans for a 450-acre safari park in Islamabad, describing the proposed attraction as “Asia’s largest safari park”. He argued that Pakistan’s appetite for entertainment had outpaced the facilities available to families, leaving substantial room for investment in safari parks and other recreational destinations.
Citing a Punjab example, Naqvi said a neglected safari park had been rehabilitated within six months through reconstruction and the addition of animals.
According to the minister, its annual auction value jumped from Rs20 million to Rs680 million within a year of the improvements—even though the facility had received only half the animals originally planned. He presented that increase as an illustration of the commercial potential of better recreation facilities.
Naqvi said Islamabad offered major opportunities for residential and entertainment projects, adding that the government had also taken steps to address concerns over high property prices. He expressed confidence that the proposed developments would attract Saudi investors and reiterated that the Interior Ministry would handle the process through a single window.
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