Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has finally decided to implement building bylaws across the capital city including zone IV, V and sector E-11 as currently these areas are beyond the preview of the civic authority. The implementation of building by-laws across the federal capital has been delaying since 2013, when the Islamabad High Court had directed CDA to ensure implementation of the building by-laws in capital city to preserve its beauty and planning. The Daily Times had reported in last month that the authority has rejected a proposal prepared by the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to establish a parallel and autonomous building control authority in the city to curtail building by-laws violations in those areas which are currently not being controlled by the Building Control Section of the CDA. Sources inside CDA said that the Member Planning has formally approved to implement Building by-laws across the city by existing workforce of Building Control Section (BCS) and it is also conveyed to relevant officers to make arrangements in this regard. Currently, the Building Control Section is exercising the building control regulations only on the plots allotted by the CDA or on the land for which the NOC has been issued by the CDA, but now the building control section would also exercise its powers over the private housing schemes of Zone II, Zone IV and Zone V. Moreover, after the aforementioned approval the directorate would also exercise its control over the Sector E-11. An insider of Building Control Section has commented on the condition of anonymity; “only taking decisions is not enough to control building by-laws violations across the city as the BCS is already facing problems due to lack of resources and staff.” He said further; “without increasing the existing workforce in the section, the decision to enforce building by-laws across the city is not a wise decision as it would disturb the existing working and performance of the section.” Another officer said; “after the case of Katchi Abadi taken by Federal Investigating Agency (FIA), no officer would take risk to assume his preview over whole city with limited workforce because in absence of resources and man power it is impossible to curtail building by-laws violations.” “If anybody take risk then he will face same consequences, which were being faced by CDA officers in Kachi Abadi case”, he added. A Deputy Director of BCS has briefed; “the marquees for weeding functions and high rise buildings in E-11 and several private housing societies across the city would come under the control of our section after the enforcement of building by-laws across the city.” Fida Hussain, a high court lawyer, while talking to the Daily Times maintained that the CDA Ordinance 1960 empowered the authority to approve all building plans in the housing societies. This requirement remains valid even if these buildings are registered with the ICT circle registrar office, which registers private housing societies. Mr Hussain said by approving the building plans the authority would also generate funds from around 50,000 housing units in the city.