Islamabad, being the capital of Islamabad, is home to multiple skyscrapers and large buildings. Among such buildings is One Constitution Avenue, adding beauty to the urban structure of the city. Recently, the skyscraper has been under a legal dispute with the Capital Development Authority, which has led to violent operation and a spur in the Federal Government.

In this article, we will be discussing the current events related to One Constitution Avenue and the history of these events, followed by the action by the PM.

What is One Constitutional Avenue

One Constitution Avenue is a famous skyscraper in Islamabad, located in the Red Zone. The building has an ideal location with connectivity to the main government offices and institutions, along with the beauty of the Margala Hills.

The skyscraper provides multiple functions, such as 

• Luxury residential apartments
• Restaraunt
• Commercial center
• Offices

The building offers a premium living and shopping experience. Many famous personalities, such as Imran Khan, Aitizaz Ahsan, Kashmala Tariq, and Nasir ul Mulk, own apartments in the building.

CDA Operation

The CDA believes that the skyscraper has become a legal issue due to problems with the developer, which is BNP (pvt) Limited. The issue has led to the CDA deciding to take over the building, and so they launched an operation for the evacuation of residents from the building. 

The Dispute Between CDA and BNP

The dispute between CDA and BNP has a long history, with the following main points:

In 2005, the land was leased by CDA to BNP  to develop a 5-star hotel for 4.88 billion rupees, with 800 million rupees transferred at the time, with the remaining amount to be paid in installments. 

In 2016, CDA cancelled the lease due to the violation of the contract to build a restaurant; instead, a residential complex was built, along with the failure to pay installments. 

In 2019, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered a renewal of the lease with the condition that the developer would have to pay 17.5 billion rupees to CDA due to the violation.

In 2023, CDA cancelled the lease with BNP due to slow payments, as out of 17. 5 billion, only 2.9 billion rupees have been paid, accounting for only 16.6% of the total payment. 

Since then, the case has been taken to court by the BNP against the CDA, and the decision came out in late April, 2026. The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC), Sarfaraz Dogar, gave the decision in CDA’s favour for cancelling the lease. 

Residents’ Take

The residents of One Constitutional Avenue, being a party in the court, claimed that CDA had issued the NOC for the project. The NOC is what assures the investors that a project is legally safe, and so, because of the NOC, the residents purchased apartments in the skyscraper. Therefore, the dispute between BNP and CDA should be solved in a way that the residents are not affected. 

Late Night Evacuations

Following the IHC’s decision, the CDA launched an operation to evacuate One Constitution Avenue and take over the building, as the developers were unable to pay the installments. CDA representatives with a large number of police officers, raided the building with multiple officers surrounding the building and many entering it. The police officers gave a deadline of 12-hours for the residents to evacuate their apartments in the building. Many residents claim this raid to be a violent act due to rude behaviour by the officers nd some claim that their doors were broken with force. This resulted in fear and uncertainty among the people living there, with many of them evacuating the building. 

Prime Minister’s Intervention

As a result of the public response and severity of the operation carried out by CDA, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, developed a committee to resolve the problem and in the meantime ordered the CDA and associated authorities to suspend any such operation till the committee comes to a conclusion. The committee established comprises high officials such as Minister of Law Justice Azam Nzaeer Tarar, Minister of State of Interior Talal Chaudary, along with Commerce and cabinet secretaries. The committee is bound to provide a report to the PM in a week and to consider all aspects and parties in the investigation of the matter. 

One Constitution Avenue is a well-known skyscraper in Islamabad, hosting multiple residents and enjoying a crucial location. The current dispute of lease cancellation by CDA due to the financial liabilities of BNP has led to an evacuation operation in the building, causing a massive public response. In this scenario, the PM of Pakistan has established a committee to investigate the matter.