Two illegal housing schemes face action

Sources say owners were issued notices for marketing sans NOC

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has lodged First Information Reports (FIRs) against two illegal housing schemes.

According to an RDA spokesperson, the RDA's Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) Directorate lodged FIRs against two illegal housing schemes, namely Mega City/Iqbal City for illegally advertising through M/s GK Mega City Developers Pvt Ltd and New Metro City for illegally advertising through M/s BSM Developers Pvt Ltd in Mouza Massa Kassowal at GT Road and Mouza Bhai Khan Matyal, Tehsil Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi District.

FIRs were registered against Sheikh Tayyeb Zahid, Mubashir Hayyat, Qaiser Mahmood, Raja Zahid Hussain, Raja Daniyal, Bilal Bashir, Ijaz Ahmed and Syed Jalilur Rehman. The MP&TE Directorate is taking legal action against the illegal advertisements and marketing of illegal housing schemes. As per the RDA spokesperson the authority had issued notices to the owners of illegal housing schemes before lodging FIRs.

"RDA had warned the violators that without getting NOC from RDA for launching the housing schemes, apartment projects, commercial buildings, etc. within the controlled area of RDA, all sorts of advertisement, marketing and development of such projects through advertisement agencies is illegal," he added.

He also communicated that the RDA had advised the citizens not to invest in illegal housing schemes, and that the rules violators had been warned to stop the marketing of their unapproved and illegal housing schemes. "They were asked to contact RDA for approval of NOC and approval of the scheme as per law, otherwise, strict legal action would be taken against them," said the spokesperson.

The RDA had 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, the District Collector Rawalpindi, District Council Rawalpindi, PEMRA Islamabad and Commissioner Islamabad about illegal advertisements of private housing schemes on social media.

The DG RDA 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.