ISLAMABAD: City managers are mulling to launch the city district business (CDB) along the newly-built Margalla Avenue. The proposed business centre will be set up along the said avenue in Zone I of the city.

The proposal was also discussed in a board meeting held on Thursday.

“Yes, we are going to develop a business centre along the Margalla Avenue in Zone-I area only. We shared our plan with the board as well,” said Member (Planning) Waseem Hayat Bajwa.

Speaking to Dawn, he said the CDA had 1,000 to 1,500 kanals in the said area mostly in sector C-16, which would be developed for mix commercial use, mainly for apartments.

“Now, we are going to hire a consultant, who will design the area in question,” he said, adding that in the next phase, development work will begin. The official said the CDA was thinking about hiring government-owned consultant firms only.

The member planning said the civic body, after designing, would start development of the CDB and it would also offer apartments to overseas Pakistanis.

Islamabad has its city district business, known as Blue Area, and if the new plan was executed, the city would have another CBD.

CDA officials said the proposed site of the new CBD was comprised of two revenue estates - Mouza Badana Khurd and Sangjani. They said overall, the CDA had around 5,400 kanals, which was acquired through three different awards that included 340 kanals, which was acquired in 1968, while 4,500 kanals was acquired in 1991, (acquired for Khanpur Water Supply Project) and 561 kanals, which was acquired for C-16 in 2007.

The CDA’s acquired land falls in two zones – I and III. It is relevant to note here that according to existing CDA regulations, construction was not allowed in Zone III.

“Apparently, to avoid controversy, the CDA, which earlier intended to develop apartment schemes in both Zone I and III, is now only focusing on Zone I north of C-16, where regulations allow CDA to start construction work,” said an official.

It is relevant to note here that last year, CDA ambitiously attempted to launch the Gandhara Enclave Housing Project near GT road, but it faced resistance as the initial layout plan was falling in both Zone I and Zone III. Whereas, the land reserved for Sangjani water project also falls under it.

The civic agency faced resistance from environmentalists and journalists as well, as the said project partially falls in Zone III, where construction was not allowed.

It seems that the CDA currently had shelved the said project and has now come up with CBD, only in Zone I.

In January this year, apparently to go through with the Gandhara project, the CDA had also moved a summary to the interior ministry for onward submission to the federal cabinet to make changes to regulations governing Zone III.

The summary proposes two options to the cabinet: either approve the proposed changes made by a committee headed by CDA’s member planning or constitute a commission led by a judge and supported by a technical team. “The ICT Zoning Regulations and subsequent efforts failed to address the issue of un-regulated settlements in Zone III, particularly the areas north of Zone I,” read the text of the summary.

It added that the southern boundary of Zone III beyond Margalla Hills National Park comprising acquired and un-acquired land was not properly delineated.

“Thus, urban sprawl continued in the form of various settlements in Shah Allah Ditta, Sangjani, Jorikhas, Pandakurd and Chauntra etc. Also, the construction of Margalla Road from G.T. Road to D-12 may further exacerbate the situation in the form of haphazard ribbon development along the newly-constructed Margalla Avenue,” the summary had pleaded.

However, the said summary could not be presented before the cabinet and sources in CDA. It seems that the summary has been shelved. And now, the CDA has decided to launch CBD along the Margalla Road in Zone I only.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2023