Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The indecisiveness and lack of clarity over closure of guesthouses working in residential areas is seriously casting doubts over the whole campaign against non-conforming use in the federal capital.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had initiated a massive drive against the commercial use of residential buildings in the mid of 2015, under the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

A large number of premises has been sealed over commercial activitiesin addition to the imposition of fine while a considerable number ofsuch buildings were also converted voluntarily into conforming use bytheir owners.

Restaurants, offices of public and private firms, boutiques, hostelsand several other commercial activities have been removed from theresidential areas. The drive was highly appreciated by all segments ofthe society because commercial activities in residential areas createnuisance and trouble for the inhabitants living around.

Fortunately, the urban side of the capital is a planned settlement and aproper layout of each sector is available as per the master plan ofIslamabad, in which residential and commercial areas have already beendefined.

The Islamabad Residential Sector Zoning (Building Control) Regulations 2005 also quite clear about the said subject and section 2.1.2 and 2.1.3clearly defines; “the plots and buildings shall be used only for the purpose for which they have been allotted.”

However, it seems apparently that the civic authority is not very muchclear about an action against guest houses working in residentialareas as after the passing of one and a half year, the civic body is still thinking whether it should take action against guest houses or not andif it decides to take action then what will be the policy andpriority to conduct the operation.

On the other side, the Islamabad Guest Houses Association is alsotrying to legitimise their case in front of the CDA on less legal, butmore on moral and emotional grounds; whereas, some owners are also incourt to seek its verdict on the matter.

A protest in this regard was also held on Monday outside the main office of the CDA, in which a large number of workers and owners of theguest houses participated and demanded to stop the ongoing operation. Participants were having placards and banners containing demands toend the operation by declaring it discriminatory and in violation of the Supreme Court’s orders.

Sulman Ahmed, a protester while sharing his sentiments with DailyTimes said: “Our case is in the Supreme Court and we demand to stopthis operation till the final decision of the court.”

He further said: “We assure the civic body that if the decision wouldcome against us then we will stop our businesses voluntarily.”

When questioned in this regard from the Director Building Control Section, Shafih Muhammad Marwat, he replied: “We are conductingthe operationunder the directions of the Supreme Court and we have to submit acompliance report in this regard regularly.”

He further said: “When the court did not issue a stay order to the guesthouses then how can we stop our drive against them.”

The authority needs to take a clear stance regarding guest houses andif it goes for an operation then it should be across the board asa dubious policy in this regard can harm the transparency of the whole drive.

The Member Planning and Design, Asad Mehboob Kiani, while responding on the issue said: “We are conducting the operation against everybody without any discrimination as per the directions of the apex court and the protest is a reaction to our drive.”