March 18, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

ISLAMABAD, March 17: The city fathers are flexing their muscles to seal all restaurants and guest houses being run in residential units, following a blast in an Italian restaurant on Saturday, Dawn learnt on Monday.

The Italian restaurant Luna Caprese is expected to be closed down by Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a fresh operation within a week.

“We have served notices on the owners of 30 restaurants and guest houses that their outlets will be sealed in a week,” CDA’s Member Estate Brig (retd) Asad Munir.

He said not only sealing the outlets, the CDA would take over the buildings where they have been opened. “CDA is empowered to take over these buildings as punitive action,” he added.

The official said the CDA had already sent final notices to the owners of these 30 restaurants and guest houses.

Meanwhile, a source said cases of cancellation of plots of such buildings had been referred to CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari but he is reluctant to take any action against these restaurants and guest houses.

They said the authority chief was also a frequent visitor of some of the restaurants offering international cuisines therefore he always backs them despite the fact that they were opened in residential areas spoiling privacy of the residents besides risking their visitors security.

Giving details about Luna Caprese, member estate said the authority had served notice on its owner, who is an Italian lady, in 1999 through CDA magistrate and imposed Rs10,000 fine for non-conforming use of residential buildings. However, its owner obtained a stay order to avoid any action of the CDA.

He said in 2001 the CDA managed to get the stay order vacated and sealed the restaurant but the owner of the Italian restaurant moved a local court and the court ordered for de-sealing.

The said official said a total of 80 private guest houses and over 40 restaurants have been running in residential buildings in Islamabad. Almost all of them were being run by influential people and they are protected when courts give them stay orders.

Mr Munir said a restaurant in Sector F-7/3 was being run by a former Ambassador but the CDA took action against it and imposed Rs0.5 million fine on it. Similarly, a restaurant Talking Fish at Bhatti Road in F-7 and three in F-8 have been served with notices by the CDA.

On the other hand security departments have also shown concern over opening of new restaurants in Islamabad as not only locals but foreigners frequently visit them and they have adequate security in and around them.