Islamabad-The campaign launched by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) against illegal housing societies, apartments, commercial ventures and the companies marketing the illegal housing schemes in the capital city, has started yielding fruit, as the owners have started approaching the authority for approval of their projects, the CDA officials have claimed.

The authority, in the first week of August, had launched a comprehensive campaign against illegal housing schemes and Building Control Section-II (BCS-II) Directorate was made functional to take necessary action in this regard.

In order to discourage illegal commercial projects being carried out particularly in the suburbs of the city or claimed to be located in the Islamabad Capital Territory, a comprehensive campaign was launched aimed to create awareness about the legality of these projects. It was observed that the developers used media for promotion of their illegal projects and the CDA had asked different departments including All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA), Press Information Department (PID), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and other organisations not to release, telecast or print the advertisements of such housing projects without the NOC issued by the CDA.

Director BCS, CDA Shafi Muhammad Marwat told The Nation that the builders/owners of such illegal projects have started approaching the authority to get their projects approved and rectify the deficiencies. “This is after the CDA launched a successful campaign against illegal housing societies,” he added. He, however, said that the authority has yet not received any advertisement from the government departments for its approval to be run on media.

Director Media CDA, Mazhar Hussain said that all housing societies’ owners/management and individual developers who are raising construction in private housing societies/schemes in Islamabad Capital Territory limits were informed through public notices to immediately get building plan approved from CDA and stop the construction work being carried out without the approval of CDA.

He said that marketing companies advertising projects which have not been approved by the CDA were also advised not to advertise the projects in media without NOC / approval from CDA which has helped CDA in protecting the interests of the general public by guiding them about the veracity of these projects, he said. He said the purpose of the entire exercise is to refrain the developers/owners from misleading the general public about the housing projects which are not approved and stand illegal.

The BCS-II Directorate which carry out screening of newspapers to point out the construction project being illegally marketed in newspapers had observed that Akber Arcade, Gulberg Green Islamabad being marketed by Star marketing Private limited, Mall Residency Islamabad Gulberg being marketed by Sama Star Marketing Private limited, Golden Heights Gulberg being marketed by Sweet Homes Private Limited and Abbas Arcade B-17 Multi Gardens Islamabad being marketed by Earth Marketing Private Limited are being marketed without the approval of CDA.

It is to mention here that previously the constructions in the outskirts of the city went unchecked and appropriate measures were not taken to curtail these illegal projects. CDA has now served notices to the owners/developers raising commercial and residential apartments in Sector E-11 and issued warnings to immediately stop the unauthorized/illegal construction work otherwise action under the prevailing rules would be taken against the violators.