Bahria Town News: Why FBR's Rs26bn Auction Was Cancelled, and What Else Is Pending
Bahria Town news, October 2026: why FBR cancelled its Golf City auction, the separate NAB auction, CDA and RDA notices, and the checks buyers should make.
In short
FBR had advertised a 32-kanal-11-marla property with a house in Bahria Golf City, Rawalpindi, for auction on 6 October over a tax default of about Rs26.47 billion. It cancelled the auction after a Supreme Court order dated 29 September (ProPakistani, Bloom Pakistan). A separate NAB auction, in the Al-Bari Group case, listed The Aquatic Mall in Islamabad and three Bahria Spring plots in Rawalpindi at a combined reserve of about Rs5.63 billion. Its outcome is not confirmed. CDA and RDA have issued notices on several Bahria projects over the past year. No reputable source we found says these actions block transfers for existing residents or allottees.
Bahria Town news in early October 2026 centred on two auctions set for the same day, 6 October. One, by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), was cancelled after a Supreme Court order. The other, by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was announced, but we could not confirm what happened. This post sets out what is reported, who reported it, and what is still unknown, along with recent CDA and RDA actions and what they mean for buyers. Every claim is attributed to its source.
The FBR auction and the Supreme Court stay
On 27 September, ProPakistani reported that FBR would auction "Plot No. 1, Street No. R2A, Bahria Golf City, Mauza Salkhater" under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and Income Tax Rules 2002, to recover about Rs26.4 billion, on 6 October. ProPakistani later reported it was set for 11:30am at FBR's Large Taxpayers' Office in Islamabad.
On 6 October, ProPakistani reported, citing sources, that the auction had been cancelled after a Supreme Court order of 29 September "restraining FBR from recovering the outstanding amount from Bahria Town". Bloom Pakistan reported the same day that the order also barred enforcement action against the group, and that it "effectively puts the latest property recovery proceeding on hold while the legal dispute continues."
What we could not confirm: the bench, the case title and the text of the 29 September order, and the next hearing date. We found no report of the order in the major national dailies. Outlets give the default as Rs26.4 billion or Rs26.47 billion.
Bloom Pakistan also says FBR's tax proceedings are separate from NAB's. A stay in the tax case does not, on its own, affect NAB's recovery.
The NAB auction: announced, outcome unknown
Pakistan Observer reported on 3 October that NAB had listed four properties for auction in its "Investigation Against Management of Al-Bari Group of Companies & Others":
| Property | Size | Reserve price |
|---|---|---|
| The Aquatic Mall, Mouza Humak, Zone V, Islamabad | about 32 kanal 3 marla | Rs4.464 billion |
| Plot BGH-514, Bahria Spring Phase VII, Rawalpindi | 6.61 kanal | about Rs352.98 million |
| Plot BGH-520, Bahria Spring Phase VII, Rawalpindi | 8.01 kanal | about Rs378.50 million |
| Plot BGH-521, Bahria Spring Phase VII, Rawalpindi | 9.07 kanal | about Rs429.89 million |
The terms reported: no bids below the reserve, a security deposit by pay order to the Chairman NAB, 45 days to pay the balance or lose the deposit, and the buyer bears taxes including Section 236A withholding and transfer fees.
Pakistan Observer added an important caveat: the plots' Bahria Town location "does not by itself establish that Bahria Town or its management owns those assets". Minute Mirror (28 September) gave the date as 6 October at the G-6 Civic Centre, Islamabad, with a reserve of about Rs5.62 billion.
Outcome: not confirmed. As of 15 October we found no report of whether the auction was held, postponed, or produced bids. For comparison, when NAB auctioned Bahria-linked properties in August 2025, Dawn reported that one was sold, two received conditional bids, and three were shelved for "lack of qualifying bids".
Prices are indicative as of October 2026.
CDA and RDA actions over the past year
These are separate from the auctions but matter to anyone buying in Bahria projects around Islamabad and Rawalpindi:
- December 2025, CDA: a show-cause notice over 41.72 kanal of public-utility land in Phase VII, Zone 5 that had not been transferred to CDA, with 10 days to comply (ProPakistani).
- January 2026, RDA: the RDA Director General ordered an inquiry into Phase 8 after allottees complained that possession had not been given since 2004 (Dawn). Dawn reported her saying NAB is investigating Bahria Town and that RDA can take over the scheme if required.
- August 2026, CDA: notices to some homeowners in Phases 1-6 saying their buildings stand on land "earmarked as an open space" in the layout plan approved in August 2000 and already transferred to CDA (Pakistan Observer).
- September 2026: Minute Mirror reported that CDA's records show Bahria Enclave Phase I's layout plan as approved but its NOC as "not issued", and that an RDA FIR over Phase VIII is under investigation.
What Bahria Town has said
We found no Bahria Town statement responding to the October events. In an earlier letter to the army chief, reported by Arab News Pakistan on 4 July 2026, the company asked that "further auction of the disputed properties of Bahria Town may be stopped forthwith" and that the matter be reviewed "through an independent, transparent and impartial process". It said about Rs372 billion belonging to ordinary Pakistanis is tied to its projects, and that it remains willing to resolve any liabilities established through due legal process.
What this means if you own or are buying in Bahria
- No reported transfer freeze. None of the reputable sources we read says FBR's or NAB's actions stop existing allottees from transferring property. Be wary of claims to the contrary from people selling competing projects.
- Check the specific phase. CDA and RDA issues differ by phase. Before you buy, check the phase's layout and NOC status with CDA (Islamabad side) or RDA (Rawalpindi side). Dawn reported RDA saying that societies with valid NOCs are legally recognised and that it has activated a QR code system for checking.
- Look at possession and open-space issues. Ask whether the plot has possession, and whether it sits on land shown as open space or public utility in the approved plan.
- Use official channels for auctions. If you plan to bid in any NAB or FBR auction, get the terms from the official notice, not a forwarded message.
For broader checks, see our guides to Capital Smart City, Blue World City and RDA approvals and CDA approved housing societies, plus more Rawalpindi property guides.
Frequently asked questions
Why was FBR's Bahria Town auction cancelled?
ProPakistani and Bloom Pakistan report that a Supreme Court order of 29 September 2026 stopped FBR from recovering about Rs26.47 billion from Bahria Town, so the 6 October auction of a Bahria Golf City property was cancelled.
Did the NAB auction on 6 October go ahead?
We could not confirm it. Pre-auction reports list The Aquatic Mall and three Bahria Spring plots with a combined reserve of about Rs5.63 billion, but we found no report of the result.
Are the NAB auction plots owned by Bahria Town?
Not necessarily. Pakistan Observer notes that a Bahria Town location does not by itself show that Bahria Town or its management owns them; the auction is in the Al-Bari Group case.
Can I still transfer my Bahria Town plot?
No reputable source we found says these actions block transfers by existing allottees. Check your phase's NOC and layout status with CDA or RDA before buying or selling.
Has Bahria Town responded?
We found no statement on the October events. In July 2026 the company asked the army chief to halt auctions and order an independent review.
Sources
- ProPakistani: FBR to sell Bahria Golf City property (27 September 2026) propakistani.pk
- ProPakistani: FBR cancels Rs. 26 billion auction of Bahria Town properties (6 October 2026) propakistani.pk
- Bloom Pakistan: FBR cancels Rs26.47bn Bahria Town auction after SC stay (6 October 2026) bloompakistan.com
- Pakistan Observer: Aquatic Mall, three Bahria Town properties among Rs5.63bn NAB auction assets (3 October 2026) pakobserver.net
- Minute Mirror: Bahria Town faces regulatory action as CDA, RDA and NAB move against projects (28 September 2026) minutemirror.com.pk
- Pakistan Observer: Bahria Town Islamabad Phases 1-6 residents face CDA notice (11 August 2026) pakobserver.net
- ProPakistani: CDA issues show-cause notice to Bahria Town over non-transfer of land (17 December 2025) propakistani.pk
- Dawn: RDA orders inquiry into Bahria Town Phase-8 (4 January 2026) dawn.com
- Arab News Pakistan: Bahria Town asks army chief to halt property auctions, order review (4 July 2026) arabnews.pk
- Dawn: NAB gets bids for three Bahria Town properties (8 August 2025) dawn.com
