What is Margalla Enclave Islamabad, and what should buyers know?

Margalla Enclave is a residential housing scheme in Zone 4 of Islamabad, developed as a joint venture between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

CDA and DHA announced the scheme in January 2025. It offers 5 marla, 10 marla and 1 kanal residential plots on one, two and three year payment plans, as Dawn reported at launch. Plots are allotted by computerised ballot.

This guide sets out what officials have confirmed, what is only reported, and what you should check before you pay for a file. Every fact below links to its source.

Margalla Enclave at a glance

• Developers: a CDA and DHA joint venture, announced on 15 January 2025.
• Location: Zone 4, on Jinnah Avenue (formerly Kuri Road), in the Kuri area.
• Size of Phase I: about 10,000 kanals, as officials described it in 2025.
• Plot sizes: 5 marla, 10 marla and 1 kanal (125, 250 and 500 square yards).
• Payment: full payment, or 1, 2 or 3 year plans with a 15% down payment, according to the official project site.
• Phase II: approved by the CDA board in May 2025, with the joint-venture route cleared by the federal cabinet in August 2025.

Who is developing Margalla Enclave?

CDA provides the land and DHA carries out the development. Developed plots are split 55% to CDA and 45% to DHA, according to Dawn. Both are state bodies. That is the main reason the scheme drew so much interest compared with private housing societies.

A second phase is planned next to the first. The federal cabinet approved CDA's joint-venture summary on 21 August 2025, and Dawn reported that Phase II covers 8,300 kanals: 7,800 in Kuri and 500 in Humak.

Where is Margalla Enclave?

The official project site places the scheme in Zone 4, on Jinnah Avenue, formerly Kuri Road. It sits at the foothills of the Margalla Hills, next to the Margalla Botanical Garden.

During a site visit in February 2025, the Interior Minister ordered a new access road. The goal was a five-minute drive from the Prime Minister's House by the alternate route, according to the government's press release. The same release said a lake would be built inside the scheme.

What plot sizes and payment terms are offered?

The official site sets out the main rules. Instalment plans need a 15% down payment within 30 days of the ballot. Corner, boulevard and park-facing plots carry an extra 10% charge, capped at 15% for plots in more than one category. The site does not publish plot prices, so ask DHA for the current schedule.

How were Margalla Enclave plots allotted?

Plots go through a computerised ballot. The first ballot was held on 24 February 2025 at the Jacaranda Family Club in DHA Phase 2. About 47,000 applications were received, ProPakistani reported.

A later ballot ceremony took place at the Jinnah Convention Centre in November 2025. It covered 125, 250 and 500 square yard plots, alongside a digital auction of commercial plots, according to The News. Results are emailed to successful applicants, posted on the DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi website and sent by courier.

What is the development and possession status?

Officials set ambitious targets in 2025. We could not find an official 2026 statement confirming those targets were met. Here is the record so far.

In October 2026, Daily Pakistan reported that possession has been delivered in some areas. This is a news report, not an official notice. Confirm the status of any specific plot with DHA. The official site also says possession for construction is given only after your building design is approved under CDA bye-laws.

Are there any open issues buyers should know about?

Yes. The Higher Education Commission says about 250 acres in Kuri, transferred to it years ago for two universities, now fall partly inside Margalla Enclave. HEC wants the land back or an equivalent parcel. CDA has offered land in Sector I-17, which HEC rejected.

The Public Accounts Committee took up the matter in June 2026. On 14 October 2026, the Prime Minister asked CDA for an immediate report. No outcome has been announced. Ask DHA whether the dispute touches the block you are buying in.

Separately, the project director said in 2025 that about 1,000 residents of Rehara and Kuri villages on the site would be relocated and compensated, ProPakistani reported. Land handovers like this can affect when individual blocks are ready.

What should you check before buying a Margalla Enclave file?

• Confirm the plot or file number with DHA directly, not only from the seller's papers.
• Check that the ballot result came through official channels: email, the DHA website and the couriered letter.
• Ask for the intimation letter and every payment receipt. An allotment letter is only issued once the full price is paid.
• Check the instalment record. Two missed instalments in a row can lead to cancellation after a notice.
• Find out whether the plot carries a special-category charge.
• Ask DHA for the current transfer procedure and charges before any money changes hands.

Who is Margalla Enclave suited to, and who should wait?

It may suit buyers who want a planned scheme run by two state bodies and who can wait for possession. Instalment plans also spread the cost over up to three years.

It suits you less if you need to build straight away, if you cannot keep up instalments, or if an open land dispute worries you. No one can promise future prices or a possession date, so buy only what you can hold for several years.

How Pak Zameen Estate can help

Pak Zameen Estate has been dealing in Islamabad property since 1988. We can help you check a Margalla Enclave file and its paperwork, explain the latest official position, and handle the process for buyers living abroad. Pak Zameen Estate is an independent agent and is not affiliated with DHA or CDA.

Message us on WhatsApp with your file details or questions.

This article is for general information only. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. Verify the current rules with the relevant authority, or speak to a qualified professional, before you act.