ISLAMABAD – A land dispute has taken fresh turn after around 250 acres acquired by Higher Education Commission (HEC) for two public universities in Islamabad became part of CDA–DHA Margalla Enclave housing project, leaving commission struggling to secure possession of the land.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of controversy and sought immediate report from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), putting the spotlight back on a dispute that has remained unresolved for years.
The land was reportedly purchased for more than Rs1 billion, with one account putting the cost at Rs1.3 billion. Yet the two universities planned for the site have still not been established, while the land has become entangled in a major residential development. HEC rejected the CDA’s proposed alternative in Sector I-17, insisting that it should receive the original 250 acres in Kuri or an equivalent parcel at a suitable location.
HEC acquired around 250 acres in Islamabad’s Kuri area from the CDA in 2007, although some accounts place the transaction in 2008. The land was intended for two public institutions: the University of Engineering, Sciences and Technology and the National University of Law. Around 35 acres of the original allocation had reportedly been earmarked for the law university.
The universities never materialised at designated site because HEC could not take possession of the property. Encroachments and adverse possession claims by local residents reportedly delayed the handover for years.
The situation became more complicated when the land allocated to HEC was incorporated into Margalla Enclave, a joint housing project of the CDA and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). This left HEC demanding the land originally acquired for its universities while development of the residential project continued.
CDA’s proposal to relocate the universities to Sector I-17 has become the latest point of disagreement. Some accounts describe the proposed alternative as just 25 acres. Another detailed account puts the total at 40 acres, comprising 25 acres for the engineering university and 15 acres for the law university. The CDA reportedly also sought additional payment under the proposed arrangement.
HEC refused to accept the offer, maintaining that it never requested land in I-17 and should not have to settle for a substantially smaller site than the 250 acres originally allocated. The difference is major. Instead of the original 250 acres, the universities could receive only a fraction of that area under the proposed relocation.
HEC wants the CDA to hand over the original Kuri land or provide an alternative of equivalent size at a suitable location. The disagreement has left the future of both institutions uncertain.
Margalla Enclave is a CDA–DHA joint venture located in Kuri, Zone 4, along Jinnah Avenue, formerly known as Kuri Road. The project’s reported size varies. Phase I is commonly described as covering around 10,000 kanals, while some accounts put the broader scheme at approximately 18,000 kanals.
Under joint venture, CDA reportedly receives around 55% of the developed plots, while DHA handles development. The housing project has moved ahead rapidly, with balloting completed and possession delivered in some areas. A second phase involving thousands of additional kanals has also been approved or discussed.
The contrast between the progress of the housing project and the unresolved university land dispute has brought renewed attention to the fate of HEC’s original allocation. The dispute is linked to the CDA’s decision in 2025, following related discussions as early as December 2024, to relocate government educational institutions and university plots previously allotted in Kuri to the institutional sector in I-17.
The move was connected to arrangements surrounding Margalla Enclave. Other government entities, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), were also affected by similar relocation plans.
CDA treated I-17 as a designated area for universities and educational institutions. HEC, however, argues that the proposed replacement does not meet its original requirements and has refused to accept the smaller allocation.
The land dispute has been under scrutiny for years. The Auditor General of Pakistan had previously raised the matter, while the Public Accounts Committee took it up in June 2026 and directed that it be resolved promptly.
The controversy prompted comparisons with other institutional land allocations made by the CDA. The authority reportedly allocated 28 acres in Kuri for the Supreme Court but earmarked 50 acres for it in I-17. The comparison has added to questions about how alternative plots are being determined for institutions relocated from Kuri.
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