ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday sealed the main office of Ghouri Town, an unauthorised housing scheme, and directed its management not to carry out any further construction.

The management of the town, comprising eight phases, has been accused of carrying out construction work and sale and purchase of plots/houses without having the approved layout plan and no-objection certificate (NOC) from the CDA.

In the past too, the CDA swung into action but construction work and sale purchase of plots continued unabated in the town. The CDA failed to stop development work in the society during the last one decade. Thousands of houses and commercial plazas have been constructed just because of the negligence of the CDA.

CDA’s Senior Special Magistrate Sardar Asif after receiving a letter from the civic agency’s planning wing sealed the offices of the society.

Sale and purchase of plots/houses continued without approved layout plan and NOC, says CDA

The planning wing’s letter dated July 18 stated: “It has been observed with serious concern that Mr Ramza (CEO) and Raja Ammar (relative of late Raja Ali Akbar) are running the affairs (sale, purchase, transfer, marketing and advertisement) of the illegal/unauthorised housing scheme namely Ghouri Town (all phases) and cheating the general public.”

It said: “All this activity is illegal and without approval of the Authority. Despite issuance of several notices from time to time and public notices, they have not stopped illegal and unauthorised activities in the said scheme.”

It said in view of the above, “competent authority has decided to seal the offices of Ghouri Town Management Zone-4, Islamabad, located in the building of Raja Ali Akbar and Company and Abdur Rehman Associates Arcade, eastern side, Islamabad Highway. It is therefore, requested to initiate legal proceedings to seal the said premises, on priority basis.”

After receiving the letter, the CDA magistrate sealed the main office of the scheme where sale purchase deeds were made by the society.

An official of the CDA said practically sealing the office of the illegal housing scheme would not stop the developers from construction work and sale and purchase of plots.

“If CDA seals one office, they will set up another office. Right now, another main office of this scheme is operating in Rawalpindi side,” the official said and added that instead of sealing offices the CDA should take over the entire illegal housing scheme.

In the past too, the CDA took such action but the town saw unabated construction.

“Now, this scheme comprises a number of phases where thousands of houses have been built. This all was done during the last one decade and I guess such action of sealing the office is insufficient,” the official said.

Last year, the CDA’s magistrate had sent Chaudhry Usman, the then chief executive (CE) of the scheme, to jail for three years for environment destruction. The magistrate had also imposed a fine of Rs1.5 billion on him and directed the society to plant trees worth Rs1 billion in the area.

According to the CDA, the society chopped off thousands of trees and also encroached on Korang River.

However, after spending just eight days in jail, Chaudhry Usman got bail from court. No fine was paid and neither any tree plantation was carried out. Later, the CDA filed an appeal in Islamabad High Court, which is slated to be taken up in September.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2022