Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Instead seeking formal approval by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration is increasing pressure on Capital Development Authority (CDA) to get approval of its building plan; whereas, the authority is completely mum over illegal construction underway on the site.

In response of the CDA notice to administration of IHC to stop the construction work on the site, the Registrar IHC wrote a letter to the Building Control Section (BCS) of the authority and asked to approve their building plan.

A source inside the BCS told the Daily Times that the construction of said building is totally illegal as they don’t have the formal approval to do so; whereas, the allotment of their plot is also still under question. He said further that the High Court administration is increasing pressure for the approval of their building plan, but according to the book, the authority cannot approve the building plan of a plot having disputed nature.

The matter was first came in the spotlight when the Daily Times highlighted the wrong doings behind the allotment of said plot for IHC on Constitution Avenue and specifically identified that the said allotment was subjected to the approval of Prime Minister, whereas the IHC has been failed to seek approval of the PM in this regard.

Furthermore, the PM Secretariat had already conveyed its concerns by writing a letter to the CDA. The letter stated that the allotment of a plot for IHC on Constitution Avenue can pose a serious threat for the security of Red Zone.

The civic body which is usually quite active in taking action against the violations of building by-laws is looking toothless to restrict construction work on the site of IHC in absence of formal approval of allotment and building plan.

When asked to a relevant officer of the CDA to comment that why BCS considered the building plan for approval in Design Vetting Committee (DVC) in absence of the final approval for plot by PM, he responded rhetorically; “the BCS was considered the building plan in the same way as the estate management was issued allotment letter, which is the pressure of IHC Judges and Registrar.”

The section 6.01 of Islamabad Residential Sector Zoning (Building Control) Regulation 1993 states that no building or structure shall be constructed without having prior approval of the Authority, whereas any construction started or carried out without prior approval of the Authority shall be liable to removed (Partially or wholly) at the risk and cost of the owner. An officer of the BCS said on the condition of anonymity that nobody can bare the enmity of courts as we have to appear before judges in routine.