Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The board of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) gave its green signal for the establishment of King Hamad Medical University in Zone four, whereas two amendments in Islamabad Residential Sector (Building Control) Regulations-2005 were also approved by the board on Thursday.

A special meeting of the CDA board was held in connection with the recently auctioned commercial plots held under the chair of Maroof Afzal, the Chairman CDA on Thursday. A summary prepared by the planning wing of the CDA to allow the establishment of King Hamad Medical University in zone four was presented before the board.

After long deliberations, the board gave a green signal for the establishment of the said university in zone four of the ICT. An officer of the CDA briefed the Daily Times that the government of the Gulf Muslim country Bahrain wants to build a medical university in Islamabad on the name of its ruler “King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa”.

The CDA board was informed by the officials of the planning wing that we don’t have any further space in educational belt (H-Sectors) of urban areas to allocate a piece of land for the university. However, the Board issued its approval for the university in zone four of Islamabad.

The sources inside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) briefed that there was no formal request available in the commission so far regarding establishment of the said medical university in the capital, but the university would need an approval of HEC and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to launch the university.

Amendment in CDA Regulations: The board also approved two amendments in the Islamabad Residential Sector Zoning (Building Control) Regulations–2005, whereas the board also rejected a proposed amendment. The board approved that minor changes up to 20 per cent of the original building plan would be allowed, but after imposition of a heavy fine on the house owner.

The board also gave approval of two car porches for the plots measuring 35 by 80 square yards and 40 by 80 square yards but this condition will be implied only on corner plots.

The Building Control Section proposed an amendment to allow two subdivisions in a plot as currently only one subdivision is allowed.