ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority’s operation against commercial utilisation of the residential sectors of Islamabad has been slowed down with the arrival of the new director of the Building Control Section of the CDA, which was moving swiftly before some days. The Building Control Section (BCS) has utterly failed to vacate any building during the last three weeks, as the entire action has been limited to the issuance of notices. The sources told Daily Times that owing to political pressure and that some elements were in the good books of the big bosses of the CDA, the operation was stopped so that more time could be given to some influential people by keeping the orders of the Supreme Court aside in this connection. During the tenure of former Director (BCS) Zahid Sultan, in his office, the operation was going on at a great pace. However, it has slowed down now and put in the doldrums. The Daily Times has the documents, which reveal that during the operation against commercial activities in the residential areas of the Federal Capital, some 203 buildings were sealed by the CDA out of a total of 1695 buildings Whereas the owners vacated 305 buildings voluntarily, the interesting fact is that yet no action was taken against some 1187 buildings. The former director Building Control Section has extended the sphere of operation against these 1187 buildings. During an operation against existence of government functionaries office in the residential areas, the office of IG Police Islamabad and IG Motorways Police was evacuated , whereas CDA recovered Rs. 135 million and deposited into the national kitty on account of fines imposed on the owners of those buildings which were sealed. Those residential buildings which are still being used for commercial activities included 121 hostels, 658 offices, 150 shops, 68 clinics, 15 hospitals, 352 schools, 177 guest houses, 56 hotels, 53 beauty parlours, 21 showrooms whereas 24 miscellaneous types of businesses are being carried out at these residential sectors of Islamabad. The CDA had submitted a report to the Supreme Court on the 28th of April this year, in which it was shown that 45 government offices were also working in the different residential areas of Islamabad that includes the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Water and Power and the finance division could not be shifted from these dwelling places. Whereas the offices of the Investigation Cell of the Anti Narcotics Force, some subordinate offices of the Petroleum Ministry, the Foreign Office and the National Institute of Disaster Management, the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division(CADD), NADRA, Sui Gas, WAPDA and other offices are also located in the residential areas of Islamabad. But the silence of the civic body over exploitation of the residential areas is very meaningful and it seems that the CDA has completely failed to vacate these buildings where commercial or government offices are situated but no steps were taken for a transfer of these offices to either commercial plazas or state owned buildings. It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court had issued the order to the CDA to take action against the misuse of residential areas in Islamabad within one month but then the civic body succeeded to get more time in this connection from the apex court. When the Daily Times contacted Shafi Marwat said that the CDA was giving more time to the violators of bye-laws of the buildings to shun commercial activities in the residential sectors so that panic should not prevail in the capital city. He said that during one month the CDA had sealed 25 houses He said that the move to shift entire businesses or official goings-on from the residential area could take at least six months, whereas it is hoped that 80 per cent of the people would vacate the building willingly. The Daily Times tried to contact Member Planning, Wasim Ahmed Khan, for knowing his stance on the slow operation, but the contact could not be established.