Despite orders of Supreme Court, CDA fails to take action
Saqib Saleem Qureshi
ISLAMABAD: Some disgruntled residents approached the apex court over the matter of mushrooming of commercial activities in the residential areas. The Islamabad High Court directed the CDA to explain why the authority had failed to take action against violators. This survey observed that in all sectors of Islamabad, residential premises were being used for commercial activities such as private hospitals and business centers.
Due to growing trend of commercial activities in residential areas, business of commercial centers is suffering badly Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation
(FGEHF) & Capital Development Authority (CDA) didn’t take any measures to curb the non-confirming use of residential premises, this trend is not only causing losses to genuine businessmen and forcing them to wind up their business in commercial areas, the non-conforming use of private houses is also giving rise to crimes rate in residential areas. Many gyms, guest houses, private schools, beauty parlors, Government offices and private clinics are running in residential areas without any check. The businessmen in commercial areas are charged commercial rates for utility services which are quite high while the businesses running in residential premises are charged domestic rates for same services which are quite economical and act as a motivating factor for doing business in residential areas.
Citizens claimed that such illegal activities are taking place right under the nose of concerned authorities of CDA and FDEHF, because some officials are involved in non-conforming use of residences for commercial activities as they take undue financial benefits from culprits in return of allowing such illegal activities.
CDA is trying to enforce parking fee in markets, but has been unable to stop non-conforming use of about numbers of residential houses for commercial activities. CDA has the authority to cancel plots as well as cut utility services of residential houses found guilty of non-conforming use, but strangely civic body is taking no measures to stop this dangerous trend. Citizens of Islamabad and resident of all sectors appealed to The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to direct CDA , FGEHF to immediately remove all commercial activities from residential areas and take action against the responsible persons who are involved in promoting such illegal activities. And put to non conforming use by establishing commercial activities in violation of Islamabad Residential Sectors Zoning (Building Control) Regulations-2005 and CDA ordinance 1960, must bring back the premises into conforming use as soon as possible.
