ISLAMABAD – October 6: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has come under scrutiny after inviting tenders for the construction of boundary walls around four graveyards—reportedly after the completion of the project.
According to documents available with Infra News Pakistan, CDA’s Engineering Wing issued a tender notice on September 20, seeking bids from “reputed construction firms” for the construction of boundary walls at Sohan Graveyard, Shakrial Graveyard, Margalla Town Graveyard, and the graveyard near Zia Mosque along Islamabad Expressway. The total estimated cost for the project was stated as over Rs161 million, with October 16 set as the deadline for submission of bids.
However, on-site inspections revealed that the boundary walls at three of these graveyards have already been built—well before the official tendering process. This development has raised serious transparency concerns and prompted internal criticism within the civic body.
“This is a blatant violation of CDA’s procurement rules,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity. “When a project is completed before the tendering process, it allows the contractor to dictate prices. It undermines competition and opens doors for misuse of public funds.”
Officials also pointed out that the tender was floated by the Sector Development Division, which is currently overseen by an officer who was previously penalized for illegal plot allotments but has since been reinstated to a senior project position.
“The construction of boundary walls around graveyards is important to prevent land encroachment, but it must be done through transparent procedures,” another official remarked.
Encroachments along the Islamabad Expressway have long been a challenge for the CDA. Several old graveyards have expanded illegally, with reports suggesting that private individuals have started charging fees for burials on state land. The issue was previously highlighted by the CDA’s planning wing, which had warned that such illegal extensions could affect future road-widening plans.
Islamabad currently has a designated graveyard at H-11, as the H-8 facility has reached full capacity. However, residents of nearby villages and parts of Rawalpindi continue to use old graveyards along the Expressway, exacerbating encroachment concerns.
When Infra News Pakistan approached the CDA for an official response, a spokesperson said that a reply would be shared after seeking input from the concerned department. However, no response was received till the filing of this report.
