**Islamabad Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Illegal Housing Societies, Vow Zero Tolerance**
Islamabad’s top civic and administrative officials have pledged a sweeping crackdown on illegal and unregulated housing and cooperative societies in the capital, signaling a zero-tolerance policy towards unauthorized constructions and encroachments. The decision was reached at a high-level meeting chaired by Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, which brought together senior CDA members, district administration, and planning officials.
During the meeting, CDA’s Member Planning presented a detailed briefing on ongoing legal actions targeting illegal housing societies across different zones in Islamabad. Chairman Randhawa instructed the relevant departments to systematically categorize all illegal and cooperative housing societies within CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) limits, and to prepare a comprehensive database. This new repository will catalog data on each society, including layout plans, no-objection certificates (NOCs), and plot allotment records, with special focus on societies that have sold more plots than approved or than the land they actually possess.
The chairman directed authorities to take “indiscriminate action” against violators, stressing the enforcement of CDA and ICT zoning regulations in both letter and spirit. He emphasized that unauthorized occupations, illegal constructions, and encroachments particularly in residential and rural zones would be eradicated to protect the natural beauty and environment of Islamabad, as well as the interests of its residents.
Citizens were also informed that detailed lists of legal and illegal housing societies are now publicly available on the CDA website, enabling prospective investors and buyers to easily verify the legal status of any society or scheme before committing funds. This measure aims to safeguard the public from fraudulent housing ventures and bolster transparency in the real estate sector.
The meeting further addressed enforcement against suppliers providing construction materials to illegal societies, with authorities directed to take legal action not only against the societies themselves but also against the vendors supporting unlawful development.
A firm decision was taken to audit the layout plans and NOCs of all cooperative and private housing schemes. Any society found in violation, especially those selling more files than allowed in their approvals, is to face swift legal penalties.
Concluding the meeting, Chairman Randhawa reiterated the CDA’s twin goals of urban development and ensuring residents’ housing needs are met lawfully. He assured that strict action would be pursued across the board, emphasizing that the security of citizens’ investments is paramount and would be protected through rigorous application of the law.
These moves signal a robust and coordinated effort by the Islamabad administration to curb irregularities in the city’s booming housing sector, aiming to restore public confidence and uphold urban integrity.
