The Islamabad Post’s recent report on the status of Sector G-14 lays bare the shameful saga of neglect, corruption, and systemic failure that has plagued this sector since its announcement in 2004. After over two decades, the promise of a developed and livable residential area remains largely unfulfilled. What should have been a bustling, well-planned sector in the capital has instead become a painful symbol of state failure and the unchecked rise of land mafias.
The heart of the issue lies in Sub-Sector G-14/1, which remains illegally occupied. Despite repeated promises from the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and other relevant bodies, no concrete action has been taken to clear the encroachments. The modus operandi is as old as it is vile: opportunists, often backed by local thugs and corrupt officials, erect illegal structures on government-allocated land. Once established, they demand exorbitant compensation for vacating the premises, in many cases threatening or violently resisting any attempt at eviction. Shockingly, the report alleges that these activities occur in connivance with officials of the Housing Authority—those meant to protect the public interest.
Development work has commenced in sub-sectors G-14/2, 3, and 4, but that is no consolation for thousands of allottees of G-14/1 who have waited patiently—some for nearly 20 years—to build a home. Tragically, many have passed away waiting for their plots to materialize into homes. This is not merely a matter of bureaucratic inefficiency; it is a human rights failure. These people were promised land through legal and official channels, paid their dues, and upheld their end of the bargain. The state has not.
It is unacceptable that a sector in the capital of Pakistan remains in the grip of illegality and impunity. The land mafia operates openly, secure in the knowledge that the system either fears or favors them. This cannot continue. The Supreme Court of Pakistan and senior government officials must take immediate and decisive action. Land encroachments should be dealt with swiftly, and those found complicit within the Housing Authority must face disciplinary and criminal consequences.
Furthermore, the government must expedite the development of the remaining parts of G-14, ensure fair compensation to legal allottees for the delay, and establish a transparent mechanism for oversight to prevent such failures in the future. Urban planning and public trust in state institutions cannot be held hostage by criminal elements and their bureaucratic accomplices.
G-14 must not be allowed to become a cautionary tale of how public housing initiatives fall prey to corruption and neglect. Instead, it must be transformed into an example of justice restored and promises fulfilled. The allottees deserve no less. How many more have to die waiting for the home they were promised before action is taken?
