Islamabad - The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approached ministry of interior and cabinet division against law-enforcing agencies and the political parties which are using residential units as their offices in the federal capital, The Nation has learnt reliably.
The CDA has asked the ministries to take up the matter with concerned quarters regulating the affairs of the law-enforcing agencies including Islamabad police, ANF, FIA, NADRA and the political parties for shifting their offices from residential areas. It said the CDA will be constrained to seal the premises if the nonconforming use of residential units goes on.
The letter written by chairman CDA to the secretary interior said, “In compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders dated September 15, 2015, the CDA has started indiscriminate operation against nonconforming use of residential units in Islamabad and properties under nonconforming use are being sealed at site. It has been observed that some government offices falling under the purview of ministry of interior are housed in residential units against the provisions of scheme plan and in violation of CDA ordinance, 1960 and Building and Zone Regulations, CDA.”
Giving details of the premises, the letter mentioned: office of NADRA (plot 1, street 61); offices of IG Motorway police in sector F-8/3; office of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in sector F-8/3; office of IGP Islamabad in sector F-7/1; office of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at plot 54, street 62, sector F-10/4; another FIA office at plot 16, Nazim-ud-Din Road in sector F-10/4; and a NADRA office in sector F-6/3.
In a separate letter, the chairman CDA has asked the secretary cabinet division that the matter may be taken up with concerned formation regulating the affairs of political parties for shifting the offices from residential areas; otherwise the CDA will be constrained to seal the premises.
The letter contained names of seven political parties which are using houses as their offices in the federal capital. These parties include Jamaat-e-Islami (office at street 38, G-6/2), APML (street 89 in sector G-6/3), PTI (street 84 in sector G-6/4), PPP (office street 85, sector G-6/4), PPPP (camp office street 19, sector F-8/2), and PML-Q office (sector F-7/3).
Meanwhile, in continuation of its campaign against nonconforming use of houses, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has sealed eight more premises in different sectors of the city.
Deputy Director CDA Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Magistrate CDA Imran Zia along with staff of building control and enforcement directorates resumed the crackdown on violators and sealed eight more premises in two days. The sealed premises include: house number 05, street number 34, F-8/1; house number 13-A, street 30, F-8/1; house number 130, street number 60, I-8 /3; house number 149, street number 60, I-8/3; house number 475-C, street 58-A, I-8/3; house number 621, street number 70, I-8/3; house number 769, street number 72, I-8/3; and house number 651, I-8/4. As of yesterday, total number of sealed outlets/premises stood at 87 and building control directorate would keep continue this campaign, said the CDA officials.
The issue of nonconforming use of residential units in Islamabad has been haunting CDA authorities since years with no major progress in returning the premises to conforming use. According to the CDA, there are over 2,000 houses in the city being used for commercial purposes.
The CDA has accelerated its campaign against private properties but the government agencies including offices of the law-enforcing agencies are yet to comply with the CDA directions.