Illegal housing projects in hot waters
PHOTO: EXPRESS
Illegal housing schemes face strict action as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has accelerated its ongoing operation against rules violators and has lodged FIRs against 12 illegal schemes.
It has also taken legal action against the illegal advertising and marketing of such housing schemes. An RDA spokesperson conveyed that before filing FIRs, it had issued notices to the illegal housing schemes.
The RDA had warned the rules violators that no development or marketing was allowed without the requisite NOC for launching the housing schemes, apartment projects, commercial buildings and other projects that fall within the controlled area of the RDA.
The owners of the illegal housing projects were also asked to contact RDA to get NOC and approval for the scheme as per law, otherwise, strict legal action would be taken against them.
The RDA Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) Directorate has lodged FIRs against the owners of the illegal housing schemes namely Gulshan-e-Kashmir (Asia Housing Scheme) Mouza Misriot Kollian Chakri Road, Rawal Enclave/Rawal Town and Housing Enclave Mouza Ping Lar Ranyal, Faisal Town Phase II Mouza Kollian Padpilu Thalian, Aman Developer Mouza Rajar Chakri Road, Manan City, Multi Garden Phase-II and Khayaban Iftikhar at Mauza Chahan, Real Estate & Builder, Nabeel Block Kohsar Extension F Block, Kohsar Extension and Kohsar Extension F Block at Mauza Pind Gondal Dhok Sayedan Chongian Taxila, Top View City D-17 at Mauza Paswal Taxila Rawalpindi.
These include Sheikh Iftikhar, Sheikh Sarosh, Sheikh Imtiaz, Nayyar Raza, Muhammad Rizwan, Abdul Majeed, Tahir Parvez, Fazal Dad, Muhammad Parvez, Abrar Rashid, Mohsin Ali, Ishaq Malik, Muhammad Aslam, Chaudhry Zafar Ali, Chaudhry Muhammad Iftikhar, Muhammad Ahsan Sardar, Sardar Muhammad Jawad Khan, Sardar Muhammad Nasir Khan, Asif Parvez and Malik Fakhruddin,
The RDA has also sent letters to the Governor State Bank of Pakistan, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi, FIA Cyber Crime Islamabad, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Islamabad, SNGPL Islamabad, District Collector Rawalpindi, District Council Rawalpindi, PEMRA Islamabad and Commissioner Islamabad about illegal advertisements of private housing schemes on social media.
The RDA DG has directed the MP&TE Directorate to take strict action against illegal and unauthorised housing schemes, constructions and commercial activities, booking offices and encroachments without any discrimination, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2024.