Islamabad, June 2, 2026: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday recommended legislation for the establishment of a dedicated authority to manage federal government real estate, emphasizing the need for prudent utilization of state-owned properties to maximize economic returns and prevent encroachments.
The committee met at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Malik Ibrar Ahmad.
Following detailed deliberations, the committee unanimously approved the proposed legislation without amendments and recommended it for passage by the National Assembly.
Speaking during the meeting, Chairman Malik Ibrar Ahmad highlighted the issue of encroachments on government-owned land, citing instances of illegally occupied railway property that were reclaimed following intervention by the parliamentary committee on railways.
He observed that many government-owned properties have significantly increased in value due to urban expansion and commercial development but continue to be underutilized because of ineffective management.
The chairman supported the establishment of a specialized authority to ensure better administration and productive use of federal assets.
The Secretary of the Cabinet Division informed the committee that the federal government owns extensive urban and rural properties across the country, including land and buildings administered by various ministries, divisions and affiliated organizations.
However, despite repeated government directives, many of these assets are neither being utilized in an economically viable manner nor adequately protected from encroachments and illegal occupation.
Officials told the committee that several attempts had been made in the past to generate better economic returns from government properties, but those efforts yielded limited results.
The secretary noted that real estate management is a specialized field and that no existing government institution currently possesses the exclusive mandate or capacity to manage such assets effectively.
Under the proposed legislation, a new body named the Federal Government Real Estate Management Authority would be established to own, manage and lease federal government properties as approved by the government.
The committee also considered the Archival Material (Preservation and Export Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and approved it with an amendment.
Members decided to replace the words “Secretary of the concerned Division” with “Prime Minister” in Section 2(a), arguing that the authority to constitute an advisory committee on the preservation of archival material should rest with the prime minister.
The committee unanimously recommended the Abandoned Properties (Management) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026 for passage by the National Assembly without amendments.
Briefing the committee, the Cabinet Division secretary said the amendments were aimed at streamlining governance, improving administrative efficiency and ensuring that the federal cabinet focuses on matters of national policy and strategic importance.
He explained that the proposed legislative changes were prepared following a comprehensive review of relevant laws conducted by the Cabinet Division in line with directions of the federal cabinet.
The review was undertaken in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Mustafa Impex Karachi v. Government of Pakistan case, which clarified the constitutional role of the federal cabinet in government decision-making.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Tahira Aurangzeb, Farah Naz Akbar, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Rana Ansar, Shahida Begum and Ehsan-ul-Haq Bajwa, while senior officials from the Cabinet Division and relevant departments also participated in the proceedings.
