Govt promises swift action against illegal occupation of overseas Pakistanis’ properties in Islamabad

Dubai: The government on Tuesday assured overseas Pakistanis of swift action to reclaim illegally occupied properties in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), declaring that their assets were fully protected.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said deputy commissioners in Islamabad would be bound to decide complaints related to illegal occupation within seven days.

“For overseas Pakistanis: If you report any qabza or illegal occupation, the DC Islamabad is bound to decide within seven days. Your property rights will be protected; no one will be allowed to take what is lawfully yours,” Naqvi posted on X.

He added that the government was committed to creating a secure and investor-friendly environment in the federal capital.

“Your investments in ICT are welcome and valued. We will ensure swift, transparent action to safeguard your assets 100 per cent,” the minister said.

The announcement drew a strong public response, with many welcoming the assurance and saying land-grabbing mafias had discouraged overseas investors in the past.

Some users, however, questioned whether the promise would be implemented in practice.

“This is the tone and action needed against the qabza mafia,” one comment read, while another said such measures should be enforced nationwide as property disputes often take years to resolve.

Others raised concerns about investments made in housing societies yet to receive approval from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

One overseas Pakistani used the platform to seek government intervention in a long-running inheritance dispute, saying influential relatives had denied him his rightful share of property since his father’s death in 2002.

Several users also questioned how authorities would act if the illegal occupants were politically influential.

Earlier in September 2025, the Prime Minister’s Office had formed a joint inquiry committee to probe alleged land grabbing in the federal capital and fix responsibility on those involved.