# DHA Quetta review: legal status, file rates, development charges and possession

URL: https://which.pk/property/quetta/dha-quetta/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 25 Oct 2026

## Summary

DHA Quetta is set up under its own Balochistan law, the DHA Quetta Act 2015, amended in 2024. As of October 2026 possession is only street by street in Early Bird Sectors A1 to A3. DHA's own File Adjustment Scheme valued a 5 marla file at Rs 10.3 lakh and a 1 kanal file at up to Rs 27 lakh from 17 September 2026. Development charges run from Rs 14.04 lakh (5 marla) to Rs 35.1 lakh (1 kanal). Gas and grid power are still listed as upcoming.

DHA Quetta has a firm legal base, its own **Balochistan law of 2015**, but much of what is bought and sold is still files. As of October 2026, possession is given **street by street in Early Bird Sectors A1 to A3 only**. DHA's own File Adjustment Scheme valued a 5 marla file at **Rs 10.3 lakh** and a 1 kanal file at up to **Rs 27 lakh** from 17 September 2026, before development charges of Rs 14.04 lakh to Rs 35.1 lakh.

## Is DHA Quetta legal?

Yes. DHA Quetta is created by the **Defence Housing Authority Quetta Act 2015** (Act No. XI of 2015). The Balochistan Assembly passed it on 1 October 2015 and the Governor signed it the next day.

The Act was amended in August 2024. It now extends to "the specified area across the Province of Balochistan, as may be notified". The Commander 12 Corps chairs its Governing Body, and DHA's website names Brigadier Nadeem Sarfraz as Administrator as of October 2026.

The law has been tested in court. On 16 December 2020, a five-judge Balochistan High Court bench declared the Act's land acquisition clauses unconstitutional, Dawn reported. The Supreme Court suspended that ruling on 16 March 2021, and Pakistan Observer reported later that month that it overturned it, while barring DHA from acquiring land outside its specified areas. We did not see the judgment itself.

## What is the DHA Quetta file rate today?

A file is a promise of a plot before a plot number is allotted. The clearest official number is DHA's own **File Adjustment Scheme 2026**, which ran from 10 September to 10 October 2026. It let eligible files be adjusted against development charges, plot price and late payment surcharge.

| File category | Value before 17 Sep 2026 | Value from 17 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 marla allocation | Rs 10.3 lakh | Rs 10.3 lakh |
| 10 marla allocation | Rs 15.5 lakh | Rs 16.5 lakh |
| 1 kanal allocation (USF) | Rs 25.85 lakh | Rs 26.8 lakh |
| 1 kanal allocation (2nd Ballot) | Rs 26 lakh | Rs 27 lakh |

USF means an unsuccessful file, one that didn't get a plot in an earlier ballot. DHA said it will review these values "periodically". Dealers quote their own rates, which we don't use.

## What are DHA Quetta development charges?

DHA's fee table on its downloads page (file dated April 2026) lists these development charges for residential plots. The General category pays them in 12 quarterly instalments; the Service Benefit category pays the same totals over 40 six-monthly instalments.

| Plot | Development charges |
|---|---|
| 5 marla | Rs 14.04 lakh |
| 8 marla | Rs 17.55 lakh |
| 10 marla | Rs 21.06 lakh |
| 1 kanal | Rs 35.1 lakh |
| 2 kanal | Rs 56.16 lakh |

All federal and provincial taxes are extra. The same table puts the late instalment surcharge at 0.06% a day.

## What is the DHA Quetta transfer fee?

DHA's T&R (Transfer and Record) fee table lists the allocation or transfer fee by plot size: **Rs 15,000** for 5 marla, Rs 30,000 for 10 marla, Rs 52,000 for 1 kanal and Rs 105,000 for 2 kanal residential. Commercial plots cost Rs 90,000 (4 marla) to Rs 450,000 (1 kanal).

The same table lists a general residential membership fee of Rs 30,000 for three years and a no demand certificate (NDC) at Rs 2,500. An urgent process costs Rs 9,000 extra. For the taxes on a property sale, see our guide to [tax on property sales](/property/guides/tax-on-property-sale-pakistan/).

## Which DHA Quetta sectors have possession?

Possession means handing over a developed plot you can build on. DHA publishes possession lists **by street and plot number** for Early Bird Sectors A-1, A-2 and A-3, in several phases. The newest list file is dated April 2026.

A plot outside those listed streets doesn't have possession, even inside A1 to A3. DHA describes A3 as the sector nearest Central Park, with signature houses under construction.

## Why have DHA Quetta files waited so long?

DHA Quetta sold Smart City Phase-I plots on a four-year plan in December 2019, and Zameen reported then that possession was expected within about three years. The first ballot for 12 categories was held on **14 March 2020**.

Since then DHA has run several schemes to move files into plots:

- **January 2021:** 1 kanal affidavit file holders could pay development charges for a guaranteed plot in Sector A.
- **January 2024:** DHA said Unsuccessful files and 2nd Ballot files are separate categories, and only A-6 and Unsuccessful files would enter the next ballot.
- **May 2024:** a location ballot for Sector A6 on 18 May.
- **June 2024:** A5 file holders could swap into 1 kanal plots in A1 to A3 for a lump sum of Rs 53 lakh.
- **September 2026:** the File Adjustment Scheme for 2nd Ballot, USF, 10 marla and 5 marla files.

**A file is not a plot:** If you buy a 2nd Ballot, USF or other file, you are buying a place in a future ballot or adjustment scheme. Ask DHA in writing which category the file is in, what is still owed, and whether it can be adjusted, before you pay the seller.

## What are DHA Quetta plot prices?

DHA doesn't publish resale prices, so we use Zameen's listing index. It has **5 marla data only**: Zameen's 10 marla page for DHA Quetta shows the same 5 marla series.

| 5 marla plot | Zameen average |
|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | Rs 19.8 lakh |
| Dec 2022 | Rs 33.94 lakh |
| Jun 2025 | Rs 61.77 lakh |
| Aug 2026 | Rs 71.56 lakh |

Treat these with care. The index showed the same Rs 33.94 lakh every month from December 2022 to May 2025, which suggests no new listings were counted. Zameen showed only **80 plots for sale** in DHA Quetta on 25 October 2026. A listed plot with a number and the 5 marla file DHA values at Rs 10.3 lakh are different things.

## Does DHA Quetta have gas and electricity?

We couldn't confirm a supply for any sector. As of October 2026, DHA lists a **132kV grid station** and a **synthetic natural gas (SNG) plant** under "Upcoming Projects", not completed ones. We found no source on water supply.

## Where is DHA Quetta?

DHA Quetta is on RCD Highway at Kuchlak, north of the city, and DHA says it covers 10,000 acres. Measured from the centre of DHA's own GIS map on OpenStreetMap, it is about 16.6 km in a straight line from Quetta railway station and 8.5 km from Quetta airport.

Compare it with other DHA projects: [DHA Multan](/property/multan/dha-multan/), [DHA Peshawar](/property/peshawar/dha-peshawar/) and [DHA Bahawalpur](/property/bahawalpur/dha-bahawalpur/). Many DHA Quetta buyers live outside Balochistan; our guide to [buying property as an overseas Pakistani](/property/guides/overseas-pakistani-property/) covers the paperwork.

More guides: [DHA Lahore review](/property/lahore/dha-lahore/), [DHA Islamabad review](/property/islamabad/dha-islamabad/) and [how we score societies](/methodology/).

## DHA Quetta: facts and scorecard

- Approval: DHA approved
- 5 marla plot: Rs 71.56 lakh
- Possession: Partly given
- Our score: 3.6/10

- Legal status: 7/10 (Own provincial law (DHA Quetta Act 2015, amended 2024); the BHC struck land clauses in 2020, but the Supreme Court suspended that in March 2021.)
- Possession & development: 3/10 (Possession only street by street in Early Bird Sectors A1 to A3; Zameen reported in 2019 that Smart City plots were expected to have possession within about three years.)
- Price & appreciation: 3/10 (Zameen's 5 marla average rose to Rs 71.6 lakh (Aug 2026), but it sat unchanged for 30 months and DHA values a 5 marla file at Rs 10.3 lakh.)
- Utilities: 2/10 (DHA lists its 132kV grid station and SNG gas plant as upcoming projects; no source for water.)
- Developer track record: 4/10 (Delivered parks, a mall and street-wise possession in A1 to A3, but 2nd Ballot and USF files were still being adjusted in 2026.)
- Location: 4/10 (At Kuchlak on RCD Highway, about 16.6 km in a straight line from Quetta railway station and 8.5 km from the airport.)
- Resale liquidity: 2/10 (Only 80 plots listed on Zameen on 25 Oct 2026; DHA itself sets file adjustment values.)

**Suits:** Quetta families who want a plot on a published possession street in Sectors A1 to A3 and plan to build.

**Avoid if:** You are buying a 2nd Ballot, USF or other unballoted file and need a plot or a quick resale.

**Main risks:** Files have no plot number until a ballot, and some categories have waited since the 2020 ballot. Development charges of Rs 14 lakh (5 marla) to Rs 35.1 lakh (1 kanal) come on top of the file price. Gas and grid electricity are still listed as upcoming projects. Few resale listings, and Zameen's price index has long gaps.

## Questions people ask

### Is DHA Quetta legal?

Yes. It is created by the Defence Housing Authority Quetta Act 2015, a Balochistan law amended in August 2024. The Balochistan High Court struck down its land acquisition clauses in December 2020, but the Supreme Court suspended that ruling in March 2021 and later reports say it overturned it.

### What is the DHA Quetta file rate today?

DHA's own File Adjustment Scheme 2026 valued files from 17 September 2026 at Rs 10.3 lakh for 5 marla, Rs 16.5 lakh for 10 marla, Rs 26.8 lakh for a 1 kanal USF file and Rs 27 lakh for a 1 kanal 2nd Ballot file. Dealer rates can differ.

### What are DHA Quetta development charges?

DHA's fee table lists Rs 14.04 lakh for 5 marla, Rs 21.06 lakh for 10 marla, Rs 35.1 lakh for 1 kanal and Rs 56.16 lakh for 2 kanal, paid in 12 quarterly instalments in the General category. Taxes are extra.

### What is the DHA Quetta file transfer fee?

DHA's transfer table lists Rs 15,000 for a 5 marla residential file or plot, Rs 30,000 for 10 marla and Rs 52,000 for 1 kanal. Membership, NDC and government taxes are extra.

### Which DHA Quetta sectors have possession?

As of October 2026 DHA publishes possession lists only for named streets and plot numbers in Early Bird Sectors A-1, A-2 and A-3. Check your plot number against DHA's latest list before you pay.

## Sources

- [The Defence Housing Authority Quetta Act, 2015 (Act No. XI of 2015)](https://pabalochistan.gov.pk/storage/3961/2018-10-23-12_33_54dha-act-11-2015.pdf), Provincial Assembly of Balochistan (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [The Defence Housing Authority Quetta Act 2015 (Amendment-2024)](https://balochistan.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The-Defence-Housing-Authority-Quetta-Act-2015-Amendment-2024.pdf), Government of Balochistan (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Updated File Adjustment Rates & Walk-In Procedure (17 Sep 2026)](https://dhaquetta.org/news/detail/updated-file-adjustment-rates-walk-in-procedure), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [File Adjustment Scheme 2026: Eligibility & Adjustment Details](https://dhaquetta.org/news/detail/file-adjustment-scheme-2026-eligibility-adjustment-details), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Fee Structure of Procedures: T&R Directorate (with development charges)](https://dhaquetta.org/web/content/dha.download.file/21/file_data), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Plots: Possession, Early Bird Sectors (A-1, A-2, A-3)](https://dhaquetta.org/web/content/dha.download.file/62/file_data), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [About DHA Quetta](https://dhaquetta.org/about), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Upcoming Projects](https://dhaquetta.org/project/upcoming), DHA Quetta (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [BHC declares clauses of Quetta DHA Act unconstitutional](https://www.dawn.com/news/1596185), Dawn (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [SC suspends BHC verdict against clauses of DHA Act](https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/16/sc-suspends-bhc-verdict-against-clauses-of-dha-act), Pakistan Today (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Farhatullah shows disappointment over SC verdict in DHA Quetta case](https://pakobserver.net/farhatullah-shows-disappointment-over-sc-verdict-in-dha-quetta-case/), Pakistan Observer (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [DHA Quetta to hold Smart City Phase-I ballot soon](https://www.zameen.com/news/dha-quetta-to-hold-smart-city-phase-i-ballot-soon.html), Zameen News (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [DHA Quetta to share down payment details soon](https://www.zameen.com/news/dha-quetta-share-down-payment-details-soon.html), Zameen News (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [DHA Quetta shares complete balloting insight](https://www.zameen.com/news/dha-quetta-shares-complete-balloting-insight.html), Zameen News (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [DHAQ offers plots for A5 sector file holders](https://www.zameen.com/news/dhaq-offers-plot-for-a5-sector-file-holders.html), Zameen News (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Residential plot price index, DHA Defence Quetta, 5 marla](https://www.zameen.com/index/buy/residential_plots/quetta/dha-defence-559/5-marla/), Zameen.com (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- [Plots for sale in DHA Defence, Quetta](https://www.zameen.com/Plots/Quetta_DHA_Defence-559-1.html), Zameen.com (accessed 25 Oct 2026)