PM Shehbaz forms committee on One Constitution Avenue case

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to review the One Constitution Avenue case and directed the Islamabad administration to suspend any action until a final decision is reached.

According to an official statement, the committee will be headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, with Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Commerce Secretary as members.

The committee has been tasked with submitting its report within one week. It will hear all stakeholders and affected parties without discrimination, allowing them to present their concerns before reaching conclusions.

Meanwhile, Talal Chaudhry stated that legal violations had occurred in the One Constitution Avenue project. He reiterated that the government remains committed to eliminating encroachments and illegal constructions, adding that the law applies equally to all.

He said the company that acquired the lease for the project violated its terms, noting that the land had originally been leased to three companies for hotel development purposes.

However, around 250 residential apartments were allegedly constructed in violation of the agreement.

Chaudhry further revealed that the plot was auctioned in 2005 and financed through bank loans, but the group later defaulted and went bankrupt.

The matter was subsequently taken up by the National Accountability Bureau, where commitments were made to compensate through commercial properties despite lacking legal grounds.

He added that the Capital Development Authority had clearly stipulated that the land could only be used for hotel purposes. The lease agreement was eventually cancelled in 2016 after CDA took control of the project.

Talal Chaudhry also noted that the case was reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee in 2014 and later referred for investigation, while court proceedings including those during the tenure of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar also examined the matter.

Officials maintained that the property is currently under CDA control and that further action will proceed in accordance with the law once the committee submits its findings.