Senior bureaucrats and top police officers are getting one-kanal plots in Islamabad’s upscale Sector E-11 at prices significantly below market value, sparking controversy and allegations of preferential treatment. The plots are being sold at just 1.5% of their current market rates.
Among the beneficiaries are former Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani and senior police officials, including IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akhtar Hayat Khan, IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, and National Police Foundation (NPF) Managing Director Sabir Ahmed. The NPF has been charging Rs. 1.57 million per plot, while the market value is approximately Rs. 100 million.
Similar preferential allotments have been reported in Sector O-9, where Additional IG Punjab Bilal Siddique Kamyana received a plot for Rs. 500,000, despite its market value being Rs. 30 million. NPF Managing Director Sabir Ahmed defended the pricing, stating that no rules were violated as the plots, which had been vacant for decades, were reallocated at their original prices after previous owners lost contact.
The move has faced criticism and legal challenges. Former DIG Shahid Iqbal, whose plot was reallocated, has contested the decision in court, alleging unfair cancellation. Additionally, a former legal adviser has accused the NPF of bias in favoring certain officers.
The controversy intensified following revelations that former Interior Secretary Durrani issued a regulatory order just before his retirement, granting the NPF greater autonomy and extending the managing director’s term, actions that reportedly contravene the society’s rules. This development has raised further concerns about the transparency and fairness of the plot allocation process.
