Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has constituted a special committee to tackle the situation arising in the aftermath of recent strict decisions of the civic body to curb unauthorised constructions in the capital city.

Last month, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had restricted the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) from providing the respective utility connections to any building without a prior no objection certificate (NOC) from the civic body.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration had also imposed Section 144 and put a ban on new constructions in its limits on the request of the CDA.

The aforementioned decisions are being considered landmark initiatives of the civic body, as illegal settlements have badly damaged the beauty of Islamabad and its posture, being a planned capital of the world.

However, at the same time, it has become difficult for political leadership, especially State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, to face increasing pressure from people associated with the real estate business.

Fazal chaired a meeting at his office on the same agenda on Wednesday along with the CADD secretary. The meeting was also attended by Islamabad Mayor and CDA Chairman Sheikh Ansar Aziz and senior officials of the CDA, including Estate Member Khushal Khan, Administration Member Muhammad Yasir Pirzada, Regional Planning Director Ayub Tariq and Building Control Section Director Muhammad Shafi Marwat.

CDA officials told the minister that the area in question was around 70,000 acres, and its regularisation without a proper water scheme, sewerage system and proper planning was a difficult task, and any decision in this regard could not be made in a hurry.

On this, the state minister constituted a committee consisting of the estate member, chief metropolitan officer and the legal adviser, with directions to find out two things; how existing unauthorised structures could be regularised, and how the civic bylaws could be enforced in the future in under-construction buildings. The committee was directed to furnish its recommendations within 15 days.

Earlier, the elected representatives of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) had also demanded lifting the ban and allowing provision of utility connections to unauthorised structures in the recent session of the MCI.

An insider told Daily Times, “It was the pressure of the CADD minister that made the CDA remove ‘Burma Town’ from the list of illegal housing societies, and as a result, a number of other illegal housing societies are now demanding the CDA to remove them from the list as well.”

“The CDA is in a quite difficult situation, as we have set a bad example on the involvement of Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and now he is again trying to get regularised the unauthorised settlements,” he added.

When contacted, Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz said, “We had imposed the ban because haphazard constructions contravened our regulations.”

“Now, the committee has been constituted to review the whole situation and it will prepare its recommendations after scrutinising relevant laws. It will also suggest the possible way out – to turn unauthorised constructions into authorised ones under a legal frame work,” the mayor added.

The CDA has so far been focusing only on the residential sectors and has ignored other areas of the capital. There are many unregulated skyscrapers in E-11, H-13, Bhara Kahu, Lehtrar Road, Tarnol, Iqbal Town, Sohan and other areas in the outskirts of the capital.