Mohsin Naqvi Announces Five-Star Hotel Plan for One Constitution Avenue

ISLAMABAD: (Mudassar Iqbal) – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that the One Constitution Avenue building in Islamabad will be transformed into a five-star hotel in the coming months, following the federal cabinet’s approval of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report highlighting alleged financial irregularities and fraud in the project.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Naqvi said the government had taken possession of the building and maintained control of the property. He announced that the Capital Development Authority‘s (CDA) Member Administration would now supervise its affairs.

The interior minister said the government would ensure refunds for all affected investors, assuring that individuals who had invested money in the project would receive their payments back. He stressed that the government’s objective was not limited to taking control of the building but also included bringing the entire process to its logical conclusion.

Naqvi revealed that the authorities had faced considerable pressure from different quarters during the operation to take possession of the property. However, he declined to identify those exerting pressure, saying he could not disclose the kind of challenges the authorities had faced. He also described the atmosphere during the operation as discouraging.

Thanking Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his continued support, the minister praised the CDA chairman, administration and legal team for their efforts in handling the case. He said the government wanted qualified professionals with relevant experience to serve in the authority.

Emphasising the importance of equal accountability, Naqvi said the law must apply equally to everyone, regardless of wealth or social standing. He maintained that there could not be separate standards of justice for rich and poor and vowed that government land would be recovered without discrimination or preferential treatment.

The interior minister also disclosed that approximately 1,000 acres of land situated behind the Prime Minister’s House had been recovered from illegal occupants. He added that development work on four sectors of Islamabad also needed to be completed.

Naqvi further revealed that Islamabad Club officials had approached the government seeking additional time.

Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the JIT report had uncovered serious alleged irregularities and financial misconduct in the One Constitution Avenue project.

According to the ministers, the auction and leasing procedures were allegedly manipulated, while rules were relaxed to favour a particular company. They said approval had initially been granted for developing a five-star hotel, but apartments were subsequently sold instead.

The ministers further stated that the JIT had identified former finance minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh as a central figure in the alleged irregularities. Former CDA chairman Kamran Lashari and several other officials were also named in the report.

The government has decided to initiate proceedings through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against those found responsible, hold a fresh and transparent auction of the project and compensate affected investors, the ministers said.

Attaullah Tarar reiterated that everyone was equal before the law and that accountability would be pursued without discrimination.