ISLAMABAD, Sep 05 (APP/DNA): Federal Minister for Housing and Works Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Friday assured the National Assembly of the government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of thousands of allottees who had invested their savings over the past decade in flats at Islamabad’s G-13 sector.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding delays in handing over possession of flats reserved for constitutional bodies, the minister said the Lifestyle Residency Apartments Scheme was launched in 2010 through a joint venture between the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and a private firm.
Under the agreement, 15 acres of land were allocated in two phases, while the private partner was to invest Rs600 million for the construction of 373 apartments. “Work on 10 acres began in 2016, of which 70 percent has been completed, and all units already sold,” he informed the House.
However, the project stalled due to the private partner’s financial constraints, internal disputes, the contractor’s illness and death, and the economic fallout of COVID-19. The joint venture agreement was ultimately terminated in December 2022.
To revive the scheme, FGEHA prepared a revised plan, dividing the remaining land into two parts. Three plots measuring 13 kanals were auctioned in 2024, with one successfully sold. A revised PC-I has been approved by the Development Working Party (DWP), and expressions of interest will soon be invited from new developers, Pirzada said.
Updating the House on the Kashmir Avenue Apartments Project, launched in April 2019 on 56 kanals, the minister said it comprised three towers with 1,467 flats. Initially awarded to M/s Concrete in 2020 at a cost of Rs 15.7 billion, the project was later halted due to inflation, material shortages, and contractual disputes. A revised PC-I worth Rs33 billion was approved in 2024.
He said fresh tenders were invited tower-wise, and four bids were received on February 26, 2025. However, technical evaluation disqualified some firms, while others filed appeals with NEPRA, delaying progress.
Pirzada assured the House that the government was determined to resume construction at the earliest in the interest of allottees, many of whom had deposited substantial amounts more than a decade ago.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suggested holding a detailed briefing in the minister’s office, to which Pirzada agreed.
