ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday struck down a blanket ban on the purchase, sale, registration and transfer of land in several federal capital localities, ruling that the restrictions were imposed without lawful authority.
Justice Muhammad Asif announced the verdict while allowing a petition filed by citizen Fazal Abbas, holding that the orders issued on December 1, 2023 were not approved by the competent authority and therefore legally invalid.
The judgment covers areas including Shah Allah Ditta, Sangjani, Sarai Kharbooza and other designated sectors of Islamabad. With the court’s decision, property transactions and registrations in these localities may resume under the existing legal framework.
The IHC directed relevant authorities to process pending registrations and transfers in accordance with law and stressed that fundamental rights cannot be curtailed under the guise of action against illegal housing schemes.
The court found that the general prohibition was based on a Capital Development Authority (CDA) letter that carried no legal standing, and held that orders issued by the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad exceeded the scope of lawful powers.
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The bench observed that an earlier IHC order had been misinterpreted by the administration; the previous ruling, the court said, targeted illegal housing schemes only and did not authorize a blanket ban on all property dealings in the affected areas.
The judgment underscored that executive authorities are bound to implement judicial orders exactly as issued and must not expand or reinterpret them unilaterally. Residents and property owners in the named localities are likely to see immediate administrative action to clear backlogs and restore normalcy in land transactions.
