ISLAMABAD: The district administration of the capital has resolved to set up implementation cells to protect the rights of citizens who own property in or are residents of the 24 cooperative housing societies that have been asked to change their names.

Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat, who is also the registrar of cooperative housing societies, told Dawn on Sunday that this would be a bid to avoid complications that may arise after the names of these societies are changed.

The deputy commissioner said that following court orders, they had have directed the administration of 24 housing societies to change their names within three weeks, or face action.

He said these societies were named after ministries or government departments.

DC Islamabad says societies should bear the cost of any changes to property documents

“We have been trying to get the names of these societies changed but we were unable to, because there was no rule against it. However, the IHC in its landmark judgment has strengthened us. Now, no society can use the name of a state institution,” he added.

Although the court order has been welcomed by most, those who reside in or own properties in these 24 housing societies fear that following the name change, they will face many hurdles in updating their own documentation, be it their postal addresses, documents submitted to the land registry office or the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), etc.

“This is not an easy task. Now, people have to change the addresses on their documents including identity cards, passports, utility connections etc, while those living abroad could face some difficulty in obtaining new allotment letters”, an allotee in one of the 24 housing societies told Dawn.

Appreciating the court’s landmark decision, he said that it was now the responsibility of the registrar to protect rights of people, adding that these societies should be made to bear the cost of changes made in documents.

On the other hand, residents place the onus on the registrar of cooperative societies to keep a check on such developments and ensure that the public do not have to pay additional fees if changes are made to allotment letters or other documents relating to their property.

When questioned about the complications that may arise for people who have been allotted land or are living in these societies, the deputy commissioner told Dawn that they would set up desks to facilitate the residents of such societies, adding that the charges of changes required to citizens’ documentation would be borne by the societies themselves. The move has been welcomed by and large. IHC Advocate Kashif Malik said that through theior judgment, the IHC stopped cooperative societies from using the names of government departments for their private businesses.

Real Estate Federation President Sardar Tahir Mahmood said that there was need for proper monitoring of the issue.

“The registrar office should ensure that allottees should not face any difficulty in getting new allotment letters from societies. Many allottees are settled abroad, so there is a need to ensure proper delivery of new allotment letters to them,” he said and added that there are around 100,000 people who had been allotted plots and apartments in these 24 housing societies.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2022