- WEB DESK
- October 25, 2026
F-9 Park’s fate in question as govt signs MoU with Saudis for theme park
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- WEB DESK
- October 25, 2026
ISLAMABAD: A deal with Saudi investors to build what the government describes as Pakistan’s first theme park in Islamabad has left unanswered questions about its location, reviving concerns over the future of the capital’s F-9 Park.
Following widespread concern on social media, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said no trees would be cut and no new concrete structures would be built in F-9 Park.
Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Saudi investors will finance the proposed theme park, while the civic agency will provide land for its construction.
However, the announcement did not identify the site, specify the investment amount or provide a development timeline.
The absence of details has left it unclear whether the project will be developed at F-9 Park or at another location in the capital.
The issue is particularly significant because F-9 Park, also known as Fatima Jinnah Park, became the focus of public concern after reports circulated on social media that trees in the 400-acre green space could be cut to make way for a theme park or high-rise development.
Earlier, reports emerged that the federal government was planning to cut trees in Islamabad’s F-9 Park to construct the theme park.
Environmentalist Usman Techer raised the issue in a video posted on Instagram and X, warning that the 400-acre park was under threat and should not be destroyed in the name of a theme park or high-rise development
Responding to the concerns on X, Naqvi sought to reassure residents, saying not a single tree would be cut and no new concrete structures would be built in F-9 Park.
He said the government instead planned to improve lighting and walkways, develop a lake and coffee shops, and plant thousands of additional trees, with the stated aim of making the park greener, safer and more accessible to families and visitors.
However, the latest MoU announcement makes no reference to F-9 Park or the minister’s assurances, leaving the question of the proposed theme park’s location unresolved.
Naqvi welcomed the agreement with Saudi investors, congratulating Prince Mansour bin Mohammed Al Saud and saying Islamabad’s infrastructure was being developed along the lines of modern international cities.
He described the theme park as a potential game-changer and said Saudi investors would be provided with all possible facilities. He also announced plans for a real estate roadshow in Saudi Arabia in the coming months to attract further investment.
Prince Mansour, chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Business Council, said Pakistan, particularly Islamabad, offered promising investment opportunities.
The announcement comes amid broader plans for large-scale urban development in the federal capital.
Until the location is formally identified, questions over the project’s potential impact on Islamabad’s green spaces — particularly F-9 Park — are likely to persist.
Earlier, Mohsin Naqvi announced plans to develop a 1,000-acre Manhattan-style city behind the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, with a central park, a lake and surrounding residential and commercial complexes under a proposed separate regulatory framework.
Addressing the Saudi-Pak Real Estate Expo in Lahore, Naqvi also announced plans to auction prime plots in Islamabad in December for hotels, shopping malls and residential complexes, offering investors an inventory-sharing arrangement instead of an upfront payment for the land.
Earlier on October 6, Naqvi said that Islamabad will get another park roughly the size of Fatima Jinnah Park, commonly known as F-9 Park, as part of efforts to make the capital greener and improve facilities for residents and visitors.
He said the proposed Manhattan-style city would operate under a different set of laws, rules and standard operating procedures, although he did not provide details of the proposed regulatory framework.
