How high can you go?: Spooks renew efforts to limit embassy building’s height

Embassy expansion was approved in 2002 without any opposition; in 2012 sensitive agencies expressed reservations.

ISLAMABAD:

For the length of its term, the PPP government resisted unwarranted pressure exerted by the powerful military establishment to amend Islamabad’s building bylaws. Even on the last day of business, former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf did not sign a summary seeking new limits on the height of buildings in the Diplomatic Enclave.

Now, with the elected government gone, “certain quarters” are again preparing to get the same summary signed by the caretaker prime minister, informed sources said, adding that the Cabinet Division has been directed to submit the summary to the caretaker prime minister’s office afresh.

The revised building bylaws for the Diplomatic Enclave — which are allegedly aimed to stop the US mission from constructing an already-approved $700 million embassy complex — just need the nod of the premier.

The bylaws, if approved, will limit the height of buildings in Diplomatic Enclave to ground plus five storeys rather than the currently-enforced ground plus seven storeys. In September 2012, the Cabinet Division, after taking the legal opinion of the law ministry, sent the summary to PM Ashraf for approval, which he never gave.



A senior official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) wishing not to be named said 45 per cent of the under-construction US embassy complex has been completed thus far and if the US authorities stay on schedule, the complex would be completed by the end of 2014.

The officer said US authorities had already gotten permission from the CDA to construct a ground plus seven storey building.

In March 2012, Pakistan’s premier spy agency raised several objections over the embassy building expansion plan.

In a letter written to the CDA chairman, the agency had sought an explanation as to how the civic agency allowed construction of such a tall building in the Diplomatic Enclave.

“One could easily keep an eye on important and sensitive government installations including the President’s House, PM House and parliament from such high-rise buildings,” the letter said.

The spy agency had also directed city managers to immediately limit the height of the embassy complex by revising its bylaws for buildings in Diplomatic Enclave, contrary to the fact that in January 2012, a committee comprising CDA officials and representatives from the Planning Commission, Emergency and Disaster Management, Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners had approved the site plan.

Consequently the CDA issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the US authorities. The CDA has approved construction over an area of 1.73 million sq ft, while the maximum limit under floor area ratio rules was 5.627 million sq ft.

“The CDA had contacted the concerned officials of the spy agency before awarding the NOC to the US authorities, but, at that time, they (spy agency) raised no objection,” said another senior official of the authority, adding that now, when the construction of the embassy is in progress in line with the existing rules and regulations, “they directed us to revise the building bylaws”.

“If the caretaker prime minister approves the summary and we tell the US authorities at this point that they cannot go beyond ground plus five storeys rather than what was approved earlier?,” the official apprehended.

Apart from height, current bylaws allow covered area of 300 per cent of the plot area, 40 per cent ground coverage for ground floor, open space of 30 feet each on front and back, and 20 feet on side areas. According to the proposed change the limits would change to 50 per cent ground coverage instead and a five storey limit.

CDA Planning Member Mustafain Kazmi told The Express Tribune that the authority had not yet received any direction to move the summary afresh.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2013.