‘Housing sector laws must be amended’

Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, on Saturday stressed the need for proper regulation of the housing sector in order to curb the unplanned growth of housing societies.

During his visit to the First International Housing Expo, Tarar said, “Despite multiple laws being in place, the unorganised growth of housing societies is on the rise, which is not a good trend”

“Instead of helping to regulate the sector, these multiple laws are creating confusion,” he remarked, adding that “Regulated activity in the housing sector is important to meet the growing housing needs of the people. The federal capital should be developed into a model city for the future generations.”

The federal minister assured the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) of his full cooperation in amending the building byelaws for commercial and industrial buildings to cater to the needs of current business requirements.

ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari stated that the existing building byelaws of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were made many years ago and are not serving the construction needs of today. He urged the government to cooperate in amending and upgrading the said byelaws.

Ministry of Housing and Works, Federal Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani said, “Agricultural land is being converted into housing societies, which should be a cause of concern. This trend should be discouraged and vertical constructions should be encouraged through policy measures.”