Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday recommended the establishment of a Federal Government Real Estate Management Authority, aiming to improve oversight, reduce encroachments and enhance economic returns from state-owned properties.
The committee, chaired by Malik Ibrar Ahmad, unanimously endorsed the proposed legislation and recommended its passage by the National Assembly without amendments. Members emphasised the need for prudent utilisation of government land and assets to ensure maximum economic benefit.
During the meeting, the chairperson said that several government properties were reportedly under illegal occupation, adding that similar issues had already been addressed in some cases, including railway land, where encroachments were removed following intervention by relevant parliamentary oversight bodies.
He noted that rising urban expansion had significantly increased the value of public land, but most government departments had failed to manage these assets effectively. He supported the creation of a dedicated authority to improve governance and returns from such properties.
The cabinet secretary briefed the committee that the federal government holds extensive commercial, urban and rural real estate across the country, including land and built assets managed by various ministries and attached departments.
However, he said these properties were often not utilised in a commercially viable manner and remained vulnerable to encroachments and illegal occupation. Previous efforts to improve returns from state-owned properties, he added, had largely not achieved the desired results.
He further explained that real estate management requires specialised expertise, which is currently not available within a single dedicated government body capable of optimising returns on federal assets.
Under the proposed law, the Federal Government Real Estate Management Authority would be empowered to own, manage, lease, and oversee federal properties as authorised by the government, with the objective of ensuring better utilisation and improved revenue generation.
The committee concluded that centralised management of government real estate assets was necessary to address inefficiencies and safeguard public property.
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