CDA Names 143 Illegal Housing Schemes and 13 Illegal Extensions in Islamabad

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has posted a new public notice, dated 03 Nov, 2026 on its Public Notices page. It names 143 private housing schemes in Islamabad that have no CDA approval. It also names 13 schemes that CDA once approved, but whose sponsors extended them without approval. The second list includes extensions of Bahria Enclave, Gulberg Greens and Naval Anchorage. Faisal Margalla City in A-17 is on the first list. If you plan to buy a plot in Islamabad, check these names carefully before you pay anything.

143 private schemes without CDA approval · 13 approved schemes with unapproved extensions · 17,159 plots mapped in Bahria Enclave Islamabad

Open the Faisal Margalla City map

What the notice says

The notice comes from CDA's Planning Wing. It is issued under sections 49-C, 46 and 46-B of the CDA Ordinance 1960, the ICT (Zoning) Regulation, 1992, and clauses 40-42 of the 2023 regulation for private schemes in Zones-2, 4 & 5.

CDA says the 143 schemes "have not obtained any approval from CDA or are in restricted areas". It says they still advertise plots, and building work goes on in them.

A scheme needs an approved Layout Plan (LOP) and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) before it can be launched. The layout plan is the official map of plots, roads and parks. CDA's notice says no private sponsor can float or develop a scheme in Islamabad without its approval.

The list is longer than before

The news site Pakistan Era reported that CDA's illegal schemes list had 98 entries when it read it on 2 October 2026. The new notice names 143.

The notice sorts schemes by zone. Most are in Zone-4, along Lehtrar Road, Simly Dam Road, Park Road and Murree Road near Bhara Kahu. Zone-1 entries are in H-13, H-15, H-17 and D-14.

Faisal Margalla City is on the illegal list

The first entry in the Zone-2 list is "Faisal Margalla City, A-17". So the scheme's own name is on the illegal list, not just an extension. If someone offers you a plot in Faisal Margalla City, keep this notice in mind. You can see where its plots are on our Faisal Margalla City map, which shows 4,431 plots. You can also read about Faisal Margalla City. A plot showing on a map does not mean CDA has approved it.

Extensions of approved schemes are named

The second list is different. These 13 schemes have CDA approval for their original area. CDA says the sponsors then made "EXTENTIONS of the Approved Schemes, without obtaining any approval from CDA."

In Zone-4, the list names Bahria Enclave (Extension), Bahria Enclave Farm Housing Scheme (Extension), Gulberg Greens (Extension), Kashmir Gardens (Extension) and Naval Anchorage (Extension). Naval Anchorage (Extension) appears again under Zone-5. Other names include several Bahria phases, Bahria Garden City, Jinnah Garden-I and Soan Gardens Housing Scheme.

This does not mean the whole of these societies is illegal. It means land added outside the approved layout plan has no approval. Pakistan Era pointed out that a plot in an extension is not covered by the original scheme's NOC. So the key question is simple: is your plot inside the approved layout plan, or in the extension?

These are large societies. Our maps show 17,159 plots in Bahria Enclave Islamabad, 5,975 plots in Naval Anchorage and 4,727 plots in Gulberg Greens. Use them to find where a plot is. Then confirm with CDA that the plot is inside the approved layout plan. You can also read about Bahria Enclave Islamabad, Naval Anchorage and Gulberg Greens.

Open the Bahria Enclave Islamabad map

What CDA says it may do

CDA warns sponsors to stop marketing, booking and selling plots, and to stop construction. It tells them to get layout plans and NOCs approved. If they do not, the notice says action may include sealing of offices, removal of development works, demolition of buildings, blocking of access roads and criminal proceedings against sponsors.

The notice also asks other bodies to help. It asks PEMRA and PTA to block websites of schemes launched before approval. It asks IESCO and SNGPL to serve only approved schemes and buildings.

Sealing work is already under way

On Nov 10, 2026, Daily Pakistan reported that CDA is preparing to seal the marketing and site offices of more than 3 dozen schemes. It said instructions for approximately 40 schemes had stayed largely unimplemented for more than two months. The first sealing orders were issued on August 21. By October 23, none of those offices had been sealed, the report said.

The same report said some developers were trying to get court stay orders. Bahria Enclave-I is among the names in that sealing document, according to Daily Pakistan. CDA's own notice says matters in court "will be dealt as per Law."

A missing name is not a clean chit

The notice warns the public not to buy plots in any unapproved scheme, "including, but Not Limited, to" the names listed. It also says an illegal scheme left off the list by mistake can still face legal action. So a scheme that is not on this list is not automatically approved.

CDA says buyers should check CDA's website for approved and illegal schemes. The notice gives the Director Housing Societies phone number as 051-9252636. You can also see the CDA and RDA lists on our approved and illegal societies page.

Before you pay for a plot

These checks are free and take a few minutes:

• Find the plot. Open the Bahria Enclave Islamabad map and type the block and plot number. The map is drawn from the society's own plan, so you see where the plot sits, its size and its street.
• Check the society. CDA and RDA publish lists of approved, cancelled and illegal housing schemes. Check any scheme against the CDA and RDA lists.
• Check the plot is inside the approved area. An approval can cover only part of a society's land. On the map, a plot inside an approved area shows a green tick. A plot near the edge of that area could fall on either side of the line.
• Look at the ground. The map shows the same land in dated satellite photographs, so you can see what has been built and when.
• Ask the authority. Always check with CDA or RDA before you pay, and keep a copy of what they tell you.

Sources

• Capital Development Authority (CDA) - Islamabad (cda.gov.pk)
• Islamabad Housing Schemes faces New CDA Crackdown over regulatory violations (en.dailypakistan.com.pk)
• CDA Illegal Housing Schemes List Islamabad: 143 Named (pakera.pk)
• Capital Development Authority (CDA) - Islamabad (cda.gov.pk)

Researched on 10 November 2026 from the sources above. Check every notice with the authority that issued it.