ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to remove a ban on the construction of high-rise buildings in the vicinity of airports in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar.

A source told Dawn on Tuesday that the decision in the matter has been made in principle and it was to be approved in the federal cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday (today) but it was postponed due to a joint session of the parliament on the Kashmir issue. No new date of the meeting has been announced so far.

The agenda of the meeting contains 12 points of which point three relates to the aviation ministry regarding high-rise constructions at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan airports.

It was also learnt that the government has allowed the construction of multi-storey buildings in the federal capital. Prime Minister Imran Khan has often mentioned “sky is the limit” in his several speeches in connection with high-rise buildings in Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been tasked to revise the master plan of Islamabad and incorporate governmental decision of high-rise building constructions.

However, development authorities of Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan will have to amend their building by-laws to allow multi-storey buildings in the vicinity of airports and other areas. It is believed that the cabinet in its upcoming meeting will direct the authorities concerned of the four cities to make amendments in their by-laws to permit construction of high-rise buildings.

Other agenda items were related to the establishment of a university at Prime Minister Office, Ehsas innovation solution challenge, public interest initiatives by the cabinet division, renewal of charter licence Class-II (domestic and international) M/s Princely Jets private limited, approval of renewal of aerial work licence Call-I (domestic and international) of flight inspection unit of Pakistan CAA.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2019