ISLAMABAD: Like its predecessor, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government is going to complete its tenure within two weeks without a revision of the master plan of Islamabad a process which has been facing an inordinate delay for years.

The previous Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was the third in the country`s history that tried to revise the master plan of Islamabad, but could not even start the practical work.

The PDM government, which is going to complete its tenure in August, also failed to start the much-needed revision.

In December 2022, the CDA had moved a summary to the Ministry of Interior for approval of the federal cabinet headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking new names for the commission for revision of the blueprint of the city. However, the approval of new name could not be notified.

`We had moved the summary on December 2, 2022, but have no idea if it was placed before the cabinet for approval or not. However, in our record we have not received any such intimation,` said an official of the CDA.

It seems the PDM government has no interest in the revision of the master plan.

In the summary, the CDA had requested the federal government for reconstitution of the commission formed by the PTI government, which later became inactive. Sources said the CDA had proposed around 20 names for the commission.

On the other hand, the federal capital has seen changes to its master plan without any input from professional consultants.

The authors of the master plan had suggested its revision after every 20 years in accordance with the need of time.

But no focus was paid ever for getting this job done by proper consultants.

Rather, on a pick and choose basis, successive governments made over 45 changes to the master plan.

On the other hand, the city is now facing several planning issues, such as unregulated slums, mushroom growth of unauthorised housing schemes, illegal construction on single-storey government houses, unauthorised construction on private land.

The CDA has no regulations to deal with construction and extra-construction in markets.

In 1993 and 2007, two serious attempts were made for revision of the documents, but after initial study the work was halted. When the PTI formed a government in 2018, the then prime minister Imran Khan formed a commission, directing it to complete the task within a year.

However, the commission, after a delay, prepared an interim report in 2020, which was mostly related to building by-laws and regularisation of certain areas, including Banigala.

But the commission left a proper revision of the master plan to a professional firm which could not be hired till Mr Khan`s government was removed in April last year. Later, when the PDM government was formed in April last year, it was expected that the government will carry out the much-delayed revision.

When contacted, CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal said the summary had been moved to the federal government.

`We have been following formation of master plan review commission,` he said and added that after getting the goahead from the government, the revision work would be started.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023