ISLAMABAD: After a delay of 18 years, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday received a branded fire tender from the Pakistan Telecommunications Employees Trust (PTET).

In 2007, the CDA board, while approving enhanced floor area for high-rise building of PTEP, decided that trust will provide a fire tender to CDA. However, the civic agency could not properly pursue its case and matter kept lingering on for around 18 years.

Sources said that the CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa, member planning and Director General Building Control played main role in getting the fire tender. The fire tender was handed over to emergency and disaster management wing.

“In a significant step towards enhancing Islamabad’s emergency response infrastructure, the CDA chairman handed over a state-of-the-art fire tender Vehicle to the Islamabad Fire Service as fire tender vehicle, also known as a fire truck or fire engine, is a specialised vehicle designed to transport firefighters, equipment, and water to extinguish fire and handle emergency situations.”

The fire tender vehicle handing-over ceremony was held at the CDA Headquarters which was attended by Member Admin, Member Planning and including representatives from the Building Control Section (BCS) and the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate and other senior officers of CDA participated.

A press release of CDA stated: “The fire tender vehicle has been donated by the PTET and the process was facilitated by the CDA Building Control Wing through the efforts of the Director General Building Control Section. This initiative is aimed at augmenting the existing capabilities of the CDA Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate in responding to fire and rescue emergencies across the federal capital.

The CDA chairman appreciated the services of building control and emergency directorate and said that this fire tender vehicle’s addition to the CDA’s fleet of emergency response vehicles is a major advancement in ensuring timely and effective response to fire incidents in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2025