Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A longstanding deadlock between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Builders Association (IBA) over the planning parameters of auctioned plots has been amicably resolved as the civic body agreed to allow builders some changes in the building’s orientation, but at the same time categorically rejected the demand to reduce parking space recruitments.

The Mayor of Islamabad, Shaikh Ansar Aziz, while meeting a delegation of IBA, led by its chief Chaudhry Naseer, has assured them to approve their pending building plans without further delay.

Besides builders’ community, senior officers of CDA’s Building Control Section, Estate Management Directorate, Planning Wing and Member Planning & Design, Asad Mehboob Kiani attended the meeting as well, which was held at the civic body’s headquarters on Tuesday.

A dispute over the planning parameters of around one dozen plots meant for the construction of high rise buildings situated at Blue Area was pending before the authority for the last several years as the Former Member Planning CDA Waseem Ahmed Khan was quite clear that no post bid change will be made as it is against the rules and regulations.

The builders’ community has primarily three demands from the civic body. They want to uniform the orientation of all buildings, create distance between two plots and reduction in car parking space from one car against each 500 sq. feet to one car space against each 1000 sq. feet.

The Mayor Shaikh Ansar Aziz, is quite lenient towards builders since he assumed his charge as Chairman CDA, because he is ambitious regarding the development of the city, which he envisioned only in skyscrapers.

He conducted repeated meetings with the builders’ community to resolve their problems and a big breakthrough happened on Tuesday when both CDA and IBA agreed on a resolution by using a ‘give and take formula’.

The civic body has agreed in principal with IBA that the orientation of buildings would be uniform for all plots whereas the issue to create distance between two buildings would also be arranged by leaving a setback of 20 feet on one side of the building instead of 10 feet on both sides of the building.

However, the builders’ community withdrew their demand to reduce car parking space from one car against each 500 sq. feet to one car space against each 1000 sq. feet after a strong opposition from authority’s officials. CDA has directed builders to construct underground parking for this purpose, which was accepted by the IBA.

While responding on the issue, an officer of the authority said: “This is a win-win situation for both parties as there is no question of post bid change involve.” He said further: “The builders are being allowed only changes in orientation of their buildings, but within their plot lines.”

The Mayor of Islamabad on this occasion also directed the Building Control Section to approve each building plan within one month from the date of its submission and in case of any objection on the submitted plan, the owners must be conveyed the issues within three days to facilitate the growth of commercial activities in Islamabad.

He said that the commercial constructions on auctioned plots offered expansion of commercial activities along with generation of employment.

“Concerned formations of the CDA have directed to abounded red tapism and nepotism in disposal of official duties. Policies to this effect are being introduced. We are in the process of restoring the credibility of the CDA,” he added.

It is expected that after this breakthrough, the capital will see some new high rise buildings on main Jinnah Avenue.