The federal government has acknowledged widespread unauthorised construction, structural alterations and encroachments in government-owned residential accommodation in Islamabad, revealing that more than 2,200 cases involving unauthorised modifications have been identified in the federal capital’s official housing sector.
The disclosure came in a written response submitted to the Senate by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada in reply to a starred question raised by Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan.
According to the government’s response, unauthorised additions and alterations have been identified in government residences located in Sectors G-6 and F-6, raising serious questions about enforcement of accommodation regulations, management of public housing assets and the effectiveness of administrative oversight.
The ministry confirmed that 202 cases involving unauthorised construction or encroachment had been referred to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), while more than 2,200 cases of unauthorised accommodation alterations had been addressed through cancellation and subsequent re-allotment procedures under the government’s regularisation exercise.
The revelations provide an insight into the scale of modifications undertaken in residential properties originally allocated to federal government employees under official accommodation rules.
Senate Question Exposes Extent Of Housing Violations
Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan had sought comprehensive information regarding government accommodation in Islamabad, particularly in Sectors F-6/1, F-6/4, G-6/1 and G-6/4.
The senator asked whether government employees had been permitted to undertake additional construction or structural alterations in their allotted residences.
He also sought details of employees who had undertaken such construction, the reasons for the modifications, the nature of the alterations and the action taken against occupants involved in unauthorised construction.
The federal government’s response acknowledged that the Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002, prohibit government employees from carrying out unauthorised construction, alteration or encroachment in or upon their allotted accommodation.
Under the rules, occupants are not permitted to undertake additional construction or change the original design and layout of government residences without obtaining the necessary authorisation.
However, the information supplied to the Senate indicates that unauthorised modifications have occurred across a substantial number of official residences.
More Than 2,200 Cases Come Under Government Scrutiny
One of the most significant disclosures concerns the government’s handling of unauthorised alterations already undertaken by occupants.
According to the Ministry of Housing and Works, government accommodation found to have undergone unauthorised construction has been cancelled in accordance with the Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002.
The ministry further stated that more than 2,200 unauthorised accommodations had subsequently been allotted to eligible federal government servants from the General Waiting List as part of a regularisation exercise.
This disclosure raises an important distinction between action against unauthorised construction and the administrative process through which affected accommodation is subsequently allocated.
The government has indicated that cancellation of accommodation constitutes an enforcement measure under the applicable rules. However, the response does not establish that every case resulted in demolition of the unauthorised structure or recovery of the costs associated with restoring the property to its original condition.
The substantial number of cases also suggests that unauthorised modifications have become a significant administrative challenge for the Estate Office and other authorities responsible for federal residential properties.
202 Cases Referred To CDA For Enforcement
The Ministry of Housing and Works informed the Senate that 202 cases involving unauthorised construction and encroachments had been identified in government residences in Sectors F-6/1, G-6/1 and G-6/4.
According to the written response, these cases were referred to the Capital Development Authority, the agency responsible for enforcing anti-encroachment laws and regulations within Islamabad.
The ministry stated that action against unauthorised construction and encroachment falls within the CDA’s enforcement responsibilities.
It further explained that the CDA’s enforcement operations were initially focused on Sector F-6/4 before being extended to other locations, including Islamabad House, where operations were stopped following resistance from the public.
The reference to public resistance highlights the practical challenges confronting authorities attempting to remove unauthorised structures from occupied government residences.
However, the Senate response does not provide a comprehensive breakdown of how many of the 202 referred cases have resulted in demolition, restoration of original structures, penalties or other enforcement measures.
Also Read: Over 57,000 Applications For 56 Government Jobs As Senate Receives Detailed Recruitment Records
Official Records Identify Employees Across Multiple Departments
The annexures submitted with the government’s response contain extensive records of federal government employees and accommodation occupants associated with additional construction or alterations.
The records identify occupants through their names, official designations, departments, accommodation numbers, sectors and the nature of the modifications recorded against their residences.
The departments appearing in the annexures include the Federal Board of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Housing and Works, Ministry of Law and Justice, Intelligence Bureau, Cabinet Division, Establishment Division, Islamabad High Court and other federal institutions.
The records also include employees serving in administrative, technical, clerical and support positions.
This indicates that the issue is not confined to a single ministry, department or occupational category.
Instead, the official records reflect a broader pattern of alterations in government accommodation occupied by employees from different parts of the federal administrative structure.
Importantly, inclusion in the annexures establishes that an accommodation-related alteration was recorded against a particular residence. It does not, by itself, establish personal criminal liability or prove that the named occupant originally carried out the construction.
Government Residences Undergo Structural Modifications
The annexures classify modifications under several categories, including construction of additional rooms, covered portions, alterations to existing accommodation and changes affecting garages and other residential spaces.
Some entries identify additional covered portions, while others refer to rooms or structural changes within allotted properties.
The records also distinguish between the original accommodation arrangements and the modifications subsequently recorded.
These details are significant because government accommodation is allocated according to prescribed eligibility criteria, including the employee’s entitlement and the category of residence.
Unauthorised expansion can potentially alter the size, layout and use of accommodation beyond its originally approved specifications.
Such modifications may also create maintenance, safety and administrative concerns, particularly where structural changes are undertaken without formal technical assessment.
The ministry’s response, however, does not include engineering assessments establishing whether particular modifications have compromised structural safety.
Sector-Wise Records Reveal Wider Administrative Challenge
The material submitted to the Senate includes separate annexures covering accommodation in Sectors G-6/1, G-6/4 and F-6/1.
The G-6/1 annexure contains 272 numbered entries relating to additional construction or alterations, while the G-6/4 annexure contains 160 numbered entries.
The F-6/1 annexure also contains an extensive record of identified alterations and changes to government residences.
Together, these annexures demonstrate that the problem extends across multiple residential sectors rather than being restricted to isolated properties.
The records include details of additional rooms and covered portions, providing the government with a documented basis for examining individual cases.
However, the number of entries in the annexures should not automatically be treated as the number of properties demolished, regularised or subjected to final enforcement action.
Those outcomes require separate verification from the Estate Office and the CDA.
Accommodation Rules Prohibit Unauthorised Construction
The Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002, provide the regulatory framework governing the allocation and occupation of federal government residences.
The rules are intended to ensure that accommodation is allotted according to eligibility and that occupants comply with prescribed conditions.
The prohibition on unauthorised construction is particularly important because official residences remain government property even when they are occupied by individual employees.
Occupants are therefore not entitled to treat allotted residences as privately owned properties that can be expanded or structurally modified at their discretion.
The government’s written response confirms that additional construction and encroachment are prohibited under the applicable provisions.
Nevertheless, the large number of identified cases raises questions about how effectively these regulations have been monitored and enforced over time.
It also highlights the need to distinguish between minor alterations, substantial construction and encroachments affecting public land or the original layout of government housing.
Questions Over Enforcement And Accountability
The Senate disclosures bring several administrative issues into focus.
First, the identification of thousands of unauthorised alterations suggests that monitoring mechanisms have faced considerable challenges.
Second, the referral of 202 cases to the CDA indicates that enforcement responsibilities are divided between the Ministry of Housing and Works, the Estate Office and the civic authority.
Third, the regularisation process raises questions about how authorities balance the need to enforce accommodation rules with the practical requirements of managing government housing stock.
While the government has stated that accommodation involving unauthorised construction was cancelled and subsequently allotted to eligible employees, the written response does not provide a complete financial assessment of the alterations.
It also does not quantify the potential expenditure required to remove unauthorised structures or restore affected properties.
These omissions limit the ability to assess the financial implications for the public exchequer.
Public Assets And Government Housing Management
Government residences in Islamabad represent an important component of the federal government’s property portfolio.
The allocation system is intended to provide residential accommodation to eligible public servants while preserving government ownership and maintaining uniform administrative standards.
Unauthorised construction presents a challenge to this system because modifications can change the physical characteristics of public assets without necessarily passing through formal approval procedures.
The scale of the problem disclosed in the Senate also raises broader questions about the maintenance and inspection of official accommodation.
An effective monitoring system would require updated property records, periodic inspections, clear approval procedures and coordinated enforcement between the Estate Office and the CDA.
The government has not provided sufficient information in the response to determine whether a comprehensive sector-wide inspection or structural audit has been completed.
Senate Disclosure Highlights Need For Stronger Oversight
The federal government’s acknowledgement of more than 2,200 unauthorised accommodation cases, alongside 202 referrals to the CDA, has brought renewed attention to the management of government residential properties in Islamabad.
The detailed annexures demonstrate that authorities possess extensive records of alterations across multiple sectors and federal departments.
However, identifying violations is only one stage of enforcement.
The more significant administrative test lies in determining whether unauthorised structures are removed where required, whether affected properties are restored, whether occupants are treated consistently under the rules and whether similar violations can be prevented in future.
The response submitted to Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan provides an unusually detailed picture of the extent of unauthorised alterations in Islamabad’s government housing sector.
It also leaves important questions about the final status of individual cases, enforcement outcomes and financial implications unanswered.
For the federal government, the challenge now extends beyond documenting unauthorised construction to demonstrating that accommodation regulations are applied consistently and that public residential assets remain protected against further encroachment and unapproved alterations.