No check on commercial activity in Capital’s residential units

[LahoreEstate]

By Fazal Sher

ISLAMABAD: Illegal use of residential housing units for commercial purposes in the federal capital is continuing without any let or hindrance. Over the months, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior issued repeated directions to Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad’s Capital Territory (ICT) administration for cracking down on those doing businesses on the premises of their houses in the city. Under the Islamabad Residential Sectors Zoning Regulations 2005, non-conforming use of residential units is prohibited in the capital. The CDA is even authorised to cancel allotment of residential plots and houses used for commercial purposes. However, enforcement of these regulations on the part of the CDA is so far a far cry. Locals have voiced concern about non-conforming use of houses, saying the illegal activity has aggravated severe shortage of housing units in the city besides creating security problems. They said mostly residential units were used as guesthouse and restaurants to the inconvenience of area residents. They also said the activity had considerably increased house rent. Some claimed massage centres, brothels and bars were operating in the city on the premises of such guesthouses. They said their repeated complaints to the CDA Building Control Structure (BCS) Directorate and the ICT administration in this respect had fallen on deaf ears. According to a CDA official, notices are issued to non-conforming users of houses before imposition of Rs 500,000 fine on each of them. He said if a house owner permitting commercial activity failed to pay fine within the stipulated period of 20 days, then the CDA sent a case against him to the special magistrate for legal action. He said in a recent survey, the BCS Directorate found 791 houses being used for commercial purposes in residential areas. The official said of these houses, 325 were being used as offices by various organisations, 87 as guesthouses, four as restaurants, 255 as schools and 124 as beauty parlours and clinics.

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