Islamabad: According to the latest news, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) set up a committee on Monday to finalize recommendations for the changes in zoning regulations of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
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Waseem Hayat Bajwa will lead the committee and is responsible for finalizing recommendations, proposing rules within 15 days, and presenting them to the federal cabinet for final approval.
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Islamabad has 5 zones, and each zone has its own laws and regulations. As per reports, CDA has agreed to legalize 50,000 acres of land in Zone III. Out of which, 20,000 acres of land is private land. Zone III includes Margall Hills National Park, Private land, etc.
CDA officials stated that Margalla Hills had a huge importance in Islamabad and no laws should be formed that compromise the beauty and green nature of the zone. Therefore, there was a need for laws and regulations for private land in the zone to give relief to the local landholders. There is no issue with constructing small houses in the zone, but no housing societies or apartments are allowed to be built on private land because it can damage the green nature of Islamabad.
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As per the reports, a bureaucrat had been asking the CDA to launch a mega housing project in Zone III adjacent to his land. Also, some officials thought that zoning rules were being changed to launch mega apartments in Zone III. However, the CDA has rejected the claims and said that the laws and regulations were changed just to facilitate the local people.
For the first time since 1992, CDA has finally changed its regulations to accommodate its residents and maintain a green nature. Therefore, local authorities and environmental and non-environmental organizations have appealed to the authority to pass laws that should protect the zone’s green nature.
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