Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to review the situation regarding One Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. This move comes amid significant legal and administrative turmoil surrounding the residential complex.
The committee will be headed by Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar. Other members include Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Commerce Secretary.
The committee is tasked with submitting a comprehensive report to the Prime Minister within one week. Meanwhile, the Islamabad administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will not take any further actions until a final decision is made.
On April 30, the Islamabad High Court upheld the CDA’s decision to cancel the lease of One Constitution Avenue due to non-payment by the BNP Group. Residents received eviction notices instructing them to vacate their apartments by midnight.
The project originally involved a 13.5-acre plot awarded to BNP Group in an auction on March 9, 2005, for Rs4.88 billion. However, the CDA canceled the lease in July 2016, citing multiple violations.
The Supreme Court set aside this judgment in early 2019, requiring the developer to pay Rs17.5 billion in installments over eight years. Reports indicate that only Rs2.9 billion of this total has been paid by BNP Group.
The complex includes 253 apartments, with many owned by prominent figures such as Imran Khan. According to Talal Chaudhry, out of these apartments, 184 are vacant while only 69 are partially or fully occupied.
Officials have not confirmed how this latest intervention will impact residents or future developments regarding One Constitution Avenue.
