ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the controversial One Constitution Avenue case, acting on the recommendations of a special committee led by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar .
The high-profile property, located in Islamabad’s heavily secured Red Zone, has become the centre of a complex legal and political battle. The crisis intensified in late April when the Capital Development Authority (CDA) launched an overnight evacuation operation following an Islamabad High Court ruling that upheld the cancellation of the building’s lease due to a massive multi-billion-rupee default by the developer, BNP (Private) Limited .
On May 1, PM Sharif constituted the law minister-led committee, tasking it with hearing all affected parties. The prime minister halted further evictions after forming the committee. On May 25, the IHC granted interim relief to residents by restraining authorities from executing further evacuations.
On June 10, more high-profile figures sought to formally join the litigation, arguing they were lawful buyers directly impacted by the CDA’s lease cancellation. Among those filing applications were Zainab Ahsan, daughter of veteran lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, and Shahid Naseer, who holds a sub-lease for an apartment in Tower C originally linked to PTI founder Imran Khan .
The JIT will be headed by a Grade-21 officer from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). High-ranking officers from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), alongside senior officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Ministry of Interior, have been included as members .
The JIT has been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into the entire lifecycle of the One Constitution Avenue project, scrutinising the financial default, mapping out institutional lapses, and identifying the individuals responsible for the controversy .
