Margalla’s Future Fenced In — Or Fenced Out?

ISLAMABAD — The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced fencing of  Islamabad’s  iconic Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP)—a 17,386 ha bastion of biodiversity—may soon be girdled by fencing, but the project risks becoming an expensive overreach, largely because the groundwork has not been properly laid.

Fencing work will begin from the Taxila side, stretching toward the Murree boundary, in an effort to stem illegal land occupation. “Once the fencing is in place, the confusion over boundaries will be resolved, making it easier to protect the park,” said a CDA representative.

“The new barriers will separate private land in Zone III from the national park, ensuring both areas are distinctly identified.” CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa—backed by board members and accompanied by Ministry of Climate Change officials—visited the project’s launch site near Taxila, stressing that the Margalla Hills are the “defining feature of Islamabad.”

He directed his engineering team to begin immediately and vowed to complete the project in “a few months.” The fencing is to run concurrently with new boundary markers, leveraging mapping efforts conducted by the Survey of Pakistan in both 2008 and 2023.

Zone III spans over 50,000 acres, of which approximately 30,000 are parkland; the rest comprises privately owned land home to informal settlements. CDA, however, neither acquires such private plots nor legalizes construction, leading to unplanned settlements and inadequate services.

Yet, despite this ambitious kickoff, the core issue remains: the park’s full demarcation is still incomplete. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered a comprehensive survey in January 2022—calling on the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, and CDA to demarcate MHNP within 60 days and prohibit further construction inside the park. A demarcation committee was formed but made minimal progress. By mid-2022, a media report said, “so far no proper demarcation had been carried out.” In October 2023, even a modest pillar installation was abandoned due to tender delays. Only about 60 percent of the boundary has been physically marked—key edge zones such as Shah Allah Ditta, Bhara Kahu, Saidpur, Kalinger, Sinyari, and Sanduie remain unresolved.

Now, CDA is rolling ahead with fencing based on this fractured demarcation. Financially, the drive carries hefty implications: preliminary estimates indicate costs running into hundreds of millions—or even over a billion—rupees, depending on terrain, fencing type, and litigation delays. Mountainous areas typically cost up to Rs 25 million per kilometre to secure, and any legal challenge could stall construction for years, compounding costs.

Worse, the governance structure remains muddled. Though the IHC ordered in June 2025 that CDA be dissolved and all its municipal powers transferred to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), the ruling is mired in appeals—so CDA continues to function as both developer and municipal authority. This dual role raises serious institutional concerns: who legitimately has the mandate to manage, protect, and enforce environmental policy in MHNP?

Environmental advocates caution that piecemeal fencing—without vetted boundary lines—could do more harm than good. A fence erected along incorrect borders might exclude genuine parkland or entrench illegal encroachments. Furthermore, unaddressed urban pressures persist: dozens of unapproved housing societies—some estimates point to as many as 600 across Islamabad and Rawalpindi—are blocking natural drainage, fragmenting wildlife habitat, and worsening flood risks. Fencing without complementary efforts to clear waterways, evict unauthorised settlements, or strengthen fire control (especially given the 267 acres lost to fires between 2022 and 2024) will be largely symbolic.

In essence, CDA’s move to fence Margalla appears premature—a response lacking the foundational clarity necessary for success. As the initiative unfolds, the critical question remains: will this drive preserve the edge of Pakistan’s capital—or simply shroud unresolved disputes and drain public resources in the process?