One Constitution Avenue: Pakistan’s ‘Biggest Historical Scam’ Exposed as Minister Targets Developer BNP Pvt Ltd

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has described the One Constitution Avenue project as Pakistan’s “biggest historical scam,” accusing politicians, bureaucrats, judges, and bankers of illegal involvement in a two-decade-long scheme that caused massive losses to the state exchequer.

Speaking to journalists, Naqvi threw his full support behind the Capital Development Authority (CDA), declaring the entire project unlawful and calling for broad accountability. His remarks have reignited intense public debate on elite corruption versus the rights of apartment buyers following recent court rulings.

The controversy traces back to 2005 when the CDA awarded a 13.5-acre prime plot on Constitution Avenue through auction to BNP (Private) Limited, part of the Bismillah Group, for Rs4.88 billion. The consortium, led by businessman Abdul Hafeez Sheikh Pasha, CEO of Bismillah Textile Pvt Ltd, was contracted to build a five-star hotel with possible serviced apartments.

Instead of adhering to the original lease terms, the developer converted the site into 263 luxury residential apartments, which were marketed and sold to a wide range of buyers, including influential figures from politics, judiciary, bureaucracy, and the general public. Authorities allege the project involved years of payment defaults, profiteering, and violations that resulted in billions of rupees in losses to the national exchequer.

Courts, including the Islamabad High Court, have upheld the CDA’s decision to cancel the lease due to long-standing defaults reportedly exceeding Rs17 billion, despite earlier Supreme Court-directed payment rescheduling. The land and structures are now set to revert to the state.

A high-level government committee is currently reviewing the matter, with discussions ongoing regarding possible compensation or relief for genuine apartment purchasers caught in the middle of the dispute.