Pakistan: Islamabad erupts in protest as landowners accuse CDA of stripping them of legal rights

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 27 (ANI): Hundreds of landowners from Islamabad's C-16 and H-16 sectors in Pakistan staged a protest rejecting the Capital Development Authority's (CDA) recently announced Built-Up Property (BuP) awards, calling them discriminatory and detached from ground realities, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, the protest was triggered after reports emerged that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif might inaugurate the Jinnah Medical Complex and Daanish University in H-16.
The news mobilised affected residents, who gathered in large numbers to voice their anger over what they described as years of injustice. The protesters argued that, unlike earlier sectors such as C-13, C-14 and C-15, where BuP awards were granted based on existing structures, the CDA has now relied on outdated satellite imagery from 2008 to determine compensation.
They maintained that this approach ignores the present-day reality, as families have expanded and additional houses have been built over the past decade.
Under the land acquisition policy introduced in 2008-09, landowners were promised one kanal of developed land in exchange for four kanals acquired, along with a five-marla plot for every 300 square feet of constructed area.
However, demonstrators said the CDA delayed announcing BuP awards for years and has now imposed restrictive conditions that deprive many rightful claimants of compensation.
"This is a clear injustice," said protester Asim Mahmood, adding that if the awards had been announced on time, families would not be facing uncertainty today.
He also criticised the compensation rates, noting that land acquired for a few hundred thousand rupees per kanal has since been sold by the CDA for tens of millions.
Representatives of the Affected Persons Alliance demanded immediate withdrawal of the new BuP notifications and called for compensation to be reassessed at current market rates.
They warned of further protests if their concerns were ignored, as highlighted by Dawn.
Responding to the criticism, CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani stated that the authority relied on 2008 satellite imagery provided by SUPARCO to determine lawful ownership.
He said any construction carried out after that period was illegal and therefore ineligible for compensation.
Despite the clarification, protesters remain unconvinced, insisting that the policy unfairly penalises genuine residents and reflects deeper governance failures in urban land management, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)