ISLAMABAD: City managers on Tuesday sealed the offices of PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami and PML-Q, which were set up in the G-6 residential sector.

The ruling PML-N voluntarily closed down its central secretariat located in Sector F-8 while the PPP also stopped non-conforming use of Zardari House in Sector F-8. However, the PPP did not allow a CDA team to seal its central secretariat at G-6.

On the directives of the Supreme Court, the CDA has launched a campaign against non-conforming use of residential houses. So for, the civic agency has sealed 93 of the 2,000 commercial outlets, including offices of political parties, functioning in the residential areas.

According to the CDA Ordinance 1960 and Building and Zoning Regulations, residential houses cannot be used for any other purpose.

On Tuesday, when a raiding team tried to seal the central secretariat of the PPP, scores of party workers put up resistance and did not allow the team, led by Magistrate Imran Zia, to seal it.

The CDA officials left the spot and filed an application with the Aabpara police, seeking legal action against the PPP workers.

CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the PPP voluntarily stopped the non-conforming use of the house in Sector F-8/2. This house is commonly known as Zardari House where party leadership frequently holds meetings.

PML-N, PPP voluntarily shift from residential sectors while PTI, JI and PML-Q face action

Sources said the CDA team did not visit Sector F-8 for sealing the office because there were reports that party chairman Bilawal Bhutto was staying there.

“Since we got information that Bilawal Bhutto was also present there, we decided not to go there,” said an officer of the CDA on the condition of anonymity. He said one of their inspectors visited the house and reported to the raiding team that the PPP had voluntarily closed the non-conforming use of the house. “We verified this and then decided not to visit the house.”

He said the PML-N and former president Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League voluntarily removed their offices from the residential areas.

The CDA has issued final notices to the political parties and offices of law enforcement agencies to move their offices from residential areas within three days. The CDA officials termed the sealing of political parties’ offices a big development.

“This is a big message for all violators. If political parties, including the ruling PML-N, can be forced to remove their offices from the residential areas, other commercial outlets do not matter,” said an officer of the building department.

“We are hopeful that all the violators will now remove the non-conforming use of the residential houses themselves.”

He said soon an operation would also be launched against the IGP office, which is functioning in a residential area of Sector F-7, two offices of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in F-10/3 and F-10/4, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) office in F-8/3, Anti-Narcotics Force’ office in F-8/4 and the office of the inspector general of motorway police in F-7/1.

Speaking to Dawn, PTI MNA Nafeesa Khan Khattak said her party had decided to shift its office from the residential area. “We have no objection on the CDA move and have to follow the law,” she said.

Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said following the directive of the apex court he party closed its office in the residential area.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2016