RAWALPINDI: After getting permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has allowed owners of 14 houses constructed on more than one kanal in Asghar Mall Scheme to convert them into high-rise commercial plazas.

The 14 houses are located near Saidpur Road. Though the plots were semi-commercial, the owners were not allowed to construct buildings more than 30 feet in height in the area due to its proximity to the old Benazir Bhutto International Airport. The CAA had imposed the ban on construction of high-rise buildings in the surrounding areas of the airport.

However, after shifting of the airport to the new site near Fatehjang, the CAA allowed the construction of high-rise buildings at Asghar Mall Scheme.

Talking to Dawn, RDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza said: “We had sought permission from CAA for the construction of high-rise buildings and the matter was taken up with Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan who gave the go-ahead signal for the project.”

He said the RDA had asked owners of the plots at Asghar Mall Scheme to construct commercial plazas having 10 storeys.

“The area was declared semi-commercial the previous year and we just facilitate the people who want to construct commercial buildings on their land,” he said.

Mr Murtaza said under the urban generation project, the RDA would improve the sewerage system, water supply lines, roads and other civic facilities as per requirement of commercial activities.

“Our role will only facilitators and we will mobilise the community for the option of commercialisation. After providing them facilities, commercial activities will increase in the area and so will the income of the civic body that will charge commercial fee for the facilities,” he said.

He said it would be a model project and the RDA would also launch such a project in other areas. He said the RDA wanted to streamline commercial and residential areas.

Apart from this, he said, these projects would be model for private housing schemes. He said the RDA was working to improve services in commercial and residential areas and would play its role to force private housing schemes to provide civic facilities in commercial and residential areas separately.

He said the working of the metropolitan planning and traffic engineering wing of the RDA would be improved to develop the city areas according to a proper planning.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2021