ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s operation against non-confirming use in the capital city has lost its steam.
On the directions of Supreme Court last year, the CDA started a drive to remove commercial activities from residential areas. After an enthusiastic start last year, the operation slowed down, with nearly 40pc of commercial outlets still operating in residential areas.
The Building Control Section (BCS) of CDA achieved its initial goals in the first few months, successfully managing to end non-confirming use of around 1100 out of a total 1695 residential buildings located in different sectors, either by force or voluntarily.
Recently, the Mayor of Islamabad and CDA Chief, Sheikh Anser Aziz removed the Building Control Section (BCS) Director Shafi Marwat, reportedly because he neither recommended (to CDA board) the ‘changes’ in the building plan of Centaurus Mall, nor did he issue the partial completion certificate. Faisal Naeem Baig was appointed as the new BCS director.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Faisal Naeem said that since I was assigned new job responsibilities of BCS weeks ago, I ordered BCS staff to do a fresh survey and report in a week about how much houses are still misusing residential premises for commercial use.
“Next week, BCS will start operation against them. There are some guest houses and premises who managed stay order so we [authority] are bound not to take action against them. However around 1100 premises were already removed either by sealing or voluntarily by the owners,” he said.
However, he admitted that for some months, non-confirming operation has slowed down. But he added that the work will begin soon and forewarned that no non-confirming activity would be spared.
Officials from the CDA’s BCS confided in Pakistan Today that in April last year, a committee made up of Islamabad deputy commissioner, CDA member planning, deputy mayor, and Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD)’s joint secretary, finalised a plan to relocate private educational institutions operating in residential areas.
Then, the committee suggested that the federal government ask the SC to give schools two years to shift to purpose-built buildings. It also suggested that the authority offer 120 plots of four kanals each, and that the Federal Directorate of Education should explore the possibility of getting 120 plots by cutting down the size of constructed, vacant government educational institutions. These plots would be given to private schools in five year installments.
Till now, no action has been taken on the aforementioned plan. A CDA official requesting anonymity said that CDA had moved the recommended report to CADD ministry. He said according to the SC’s directive, schools operating in residential areas fall within the category of non-conforming use.
The source said that the committee was constituted on the directives of the interior minister and gave a valuable solution to the matter in its reports but it’s not known why CADD ministry ignored it. There are currently 317 registered and 32 unregistered private schools operating in Islamabad’s residential areas.
