ISLAMABAD: As ties between the federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government continue to strain in light of violent protests over the weekend, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has jumped into the fray and sealed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House on Monday for building violations.

The move came days after police raided KP House to arrest Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who had led a caravan of PTI supporters from Peshawar to Islamabad to record their protest against the constitutional amendments and imprisonment of party founder Imran Khan.

CDA Special Magistrate Sardar Asif, along with the building control teams backed by police, sealed the KP House for building violations on Monday. According to CDA, the building was sealed because of illegal construction. It said notices were also served, but the KP House administration did not comply.

CDA Media Director Shahid Kiani termed this operation as a ‘routine one’, stating that the CDA had nothing to do with politics.

Punjab, Balochistan, AJK, GB houses operating in capital despite ‘expired leases’

“We have been sending them [KP House] notices since 2014. Notices were also served in recent months, but they did not comply with them; finally, their building was sealed for building violations,” he said, adding that CDA had been taking action against public and private buildings without any discrimination.

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“We are conducting operations across the board,” he said.

Even though the CDA claims impartiality over the matter, a large number of buildings, including Punjab House, Balochistan House, AJK House and Gilgit-Baltistan House, are operating in the capital despite expired lease agreements. The elite Islamabad Club is also on the CDA radar for alleged encroachments upon state land for years but the CDA never moved against the club.

Likewise, hundreds of commercial buildings and agro farmhouses are operating in Islamabad with expired lease agreements, which was highlighted by the auditor general of Pakistan in their audit report some years ago.

“Actually, the owners of most of these properties had made several unilateral changes, including unauthorised construction, and for the lease extension, they are supposed to remove these violations first, that’s why they avoid the CDA for their lease extension,” said a CDA official.

Moreover, the irrigation department of the Punjab government is building a rest house along Park Road near Rawal Dam’s spillway without the approval of building plans. This area is Zone III, where construction is not allowed as per CDA’s building by-laws.

Punjab House

In addition to a notice to KP House in May this year, Punjab House was also issued a notice for its lease renewal. The May 17 notice by the estate wing read that if it failed to submit applications along with documents within 15 days, a case for sealing and cancellation of lease rights would be initiated.

However, the CDA media director said the case of Punjab House and other houses was a different matter. “KP House was not sealed because of the expired lease, but for building violations and non-compliance with CDA letters… As far as Punjab House and other houses are concerned, they have been replying to CDA’s letters regarding the lease extension,” he said and added that the Sindh government not only regularised their house but also got their lease extended.

“As far as the Punjab government’s rest house near Rawal Dam is concerned, we have sealed their two buildings. Even today, one is confirmed [sealed] and I will check the status of the second one,” he said and added that sealing buildings over violations was routine work for the civic agency.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2024