RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Tuesday asked the owners of three marketing companies-- Advice Associates, Lead Marketing and Zameen.com – to stop advertising illegal housing schemes.

RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa said that advertising illegal housing schemes is unlawful under 46 (1) of Punjab Development Authorities Private Housing Scheme Rules-2021 which is read as: “A sponsor shall not advertise sale of plots or housing units in print and electronic media or in any manner, without prior approval of authority.”

In case of non-compliance with Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 and Punjab development Authorities Private Housing Schemes Rules 2021, RDA reserves the right to initiate legal proceedings against you and your organisations under relevant law, he added.

He said in this regard, it is apprised that unless a project gets NOC from RDA Rawalpindi, it cannot be declared as an approved or legal project. But unfortunately, the websites are misleading public who are investing heavy amount.

He said that the marketing / projection of such projects give impression to public that the project is already approved and legal.

“The advertising companies are warned that they must not be a part of this illegal activity which may deceive general public who invest in illegal housing societies through their platform,” he said.

He said he directed the civic body to remove all the construction of these illegal scheme which may initiate the huge transaction of money from public in the shape of booking of plots in unapproved/fake/illegal housing schemes thus deceiving the public through electronic media.

Moreover, he said that legal status of the projects is easily accessible on RDA websitewww.rda.gop.pkor can be obtained directly from the RDA offices.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2023