ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed a commercial building in G-6 on Wednesday for non-conforming use. A department store was running in the basement of the building, on a plot originally allotted for a wedding hall.

The multi-storey building was constructed by former PPP senator Saifullah Bangash, who died last year, on a service road behind the Aabpara Sunday market.

CDA officials said the plot was originally allotted for a wedding hall but later converted to offices and residential apartments.

Spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said the building was sealed for non-conforming use, as “the plot was originally allotted for a wedding hall and then converted into residential apartments, so there was no provision for running a department store.”

“The conversion from a wedding hall to residential apartments was also subject to a fee and the completion of other formalities, but the owner of the plot did not pay the dues i.e. the conversion charges. The basement in which the Save Mart was being run was meant for parking only,” he added.

The CDA sealed the same building around this time last year, but said it was unsealed by the other under court orders.

Director Building Control Faisal Naeem said a court stay had now been vacated, therefore the building was sealed.

Director Enforcement Fahim Badshah said that “some people resisted” during the sealing operation, injuring two staffers. He said the staffers were treated at Polyclinic, and “we are also planning to register an FIR”.

Last year, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had begun an investigation into the CDA for its silence on the construction of this building.

CDA officials said the building’s owner did not obtain a completion certificate, a prerequisite for the occupation of any new building.

The certificate deals with fire and safety measures, the approval of a building plan, parking space and so on.

The owner of the plot, Shoukat Bangash, told Dawn the CDA’s actions were an “injustice”.

He said he was given the plot in an open auction in 1994 to build a wedding hall, but because of the presence of Lal Masjid and an imambargah in the vicinity, it seemed inappropriate to do so.

The CDA then converted the building into offices and residential apartments.

Mr Bangash claimed the CDA did not change the trade at their request but because of the presence of two religious establishments, and because the plot, which was located in a depression, was not feasible for a wedding hall.

“We were in a dispute with the CDA not to charge us the conversion charges, but they have sealed our building,” he said.

He added that if his building was in nonconforming use, why hadn’t action been taken against the hotels operating in houses on Peshawar Mor? Mr Bangash said he would challenge the CDA’s action in court.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2019