Senate panel wants dwellings near New Islamabad Airport vacated

Says CDA has turned into an office for property agents

With incidents from the Peshawar airport still fresh in their minds, senators on Wednesday called for removing dwellings near the New Islamabad International Airport.

“There are few houses near the boundary wall of the new airport, which can be used for negative purposes,” Senate Standing Committee for Cabinet Secretariat Chairman Senator Talha Mahmood said during the panel’s meeting at the Parliament House on Wednesday.



The relevant authorities, he said, should have these houses vacated under relevant laws in an amicable manner to make the new airport safer, he said according to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat.

The standing committee noted that recent development plans in the capital were lacking interchanges. If interchanges are not built at the end of every sector, connectivity between sectors will suffer — an open violation of the master plan of Islamabad, the participants agreed.

The committee summoned the communication secretary and NHA chief in the next meeting of the committee to explain why there were insufficient interchanges in the capital.

The panel further recommended that the remaining funds of the Metro Bus project should be spent on building these interchanges.

Moving nurseries

The committee also summoned CDA Director Khushhaal Khan and advised that nurseries near Peshawar Mor should be shifted to alternative locations. The lawmakers explained that the nurseries were in the path of the Metro Bus extension project from the New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) to Peshawar Mor.

Fake housing schemes

Chairman of the committee said that relevant authorities should take steps to prevent fake housing societies in the capital.

Moreover, some societies, though otherwise authentic, were violating the regulations, he said.

“Boards should be installed around the boundary wall of the NIIA telling them up to where construction can be done and how much. The committee will visit new airport next week and review it in detail,” he said.

Attock Deputy Commissioner Habib Ullah also answered questions about housing schemes.

He said that checking the housing societies comes under the purview of the district council which is authorised to operate in the rural areas. The municipal committee, he said, was authorised for checking construction in urban areas.

The standing committee was further told that there are around 21 housing societies located near the airport.  The committee asked for maps and details of the societies to check which society has yet to complete legal requirements.

The standing committee recommended that the metrological department should not be shifted from the aviation division to the Ministry of Climate Change, since the move may create many problems.

Property agents’ office

The committee expressed resentment over developmental work stalling in Sector D-12. Members sought to remind the CDA that Sector D-12 too was part of Islamabad and development work there was quite necessary.

The senators said that CDA seemed to be acting like an office of property dealers since a number of buildings have been built in violation of the building code but the authority has failed to stop their construction at the outset. Rather, the lawmakers complained, the civic body waits till it nears completion before conducting raids and then demolishing structures.

They said this also inflicts a loss upon the people.

The lawmakers demanded that the CDA chairman attend the next meeting of the committee.



The committee also observed that it may review how could the mayor of Islamabad also serve as the chairman of the civic body.

The meeting was attended by Senators Shahi Syed, Hidayatullah, Kamil Ali Agha, Saifullah Bangash, Najma Hameed, Kulsoom Parveen and secretaries of CADD and establishment division and senior officials.

(Translated by Arshad Shaheen)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2017.