Commercial use of residential units on the rise

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD - Commercial use of residential units continues in different sectors of the federal capital, while officials of Capital Development Authority (CDA) are allegedly backing the unlawful activity.

According to sources, the defiance of the CDA by-laws is going on specifically in F-6, F-7 and F-8 sectors of Islamabad.

The sources revealed that the CDA has opened six houses in Sector F-6 that were sealed last week for commercial use of residential units.

Similarly, houses and bungalows are being used for commercial purposes in F-6, F-7, F-8, F-10, F-11, G-6 and other sectors for last many years with alleged connivance of officials of Building Control Cell and Planning and Enforcement Department of CDA, the sources said.

When contacted, Building Control Cell, Director General Malik Ghulam Murtaza said that they were sealing houses that are used against the CDA by-laws but sometimes they have to open some houses on pressure from influential people.

He said that basic aim of sealing a house is to discourage commercial use of residential units. He agreed that residential units were being used for commercial purposes on large scale in the capital city.