ISLAMABAD: The city managers on Tuesday decided to take action against owners of Safa Gold Mall, Grand Hyatt and a commercial plaza owned by PPP Senator Haji Saifullah Khan Bangash.

During a meeting chaired by Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz, the civic agency’s board decided that the allotment of the plot on which the Safa Gold Mall had been constructed will be cancelled. The board discussed a summary by the Planning Wing, which has proposed a fine of Rs1.07 billion on the owner of the mall for constructing three extra storeys.

The owner was allowed to build only ground-plus four storeys but he built three more storeys in violation of by-laws after officials of CDA’s Building Control Section extended him undue favours.

“In the allotment letter, it was clearly defined that the floor area ratio of the building would be 1:5 with 100pc coverage, number of storeys will be ground-plus four thus capping the height of the building. In no case, the number of storeys could be enhanced in violation of the relevant planning parameters and clauses of the allotment letter,” CDA’s inquiry report reads.

Civic agency’s board decides to cancel Safa Gold plot, pay compensation to buyers of Grand Hyatt apartments

According to CDA officials, board members decided that there is no justification for imposing a fine on a violator for constructing extra storeys and that this will encourage violators and therefore decided to cancel the plot.

Officials talking to Dawn said board members expressed displeasure over the finalisation of an inquiry report on the Safa Gold Mall which has been pending for a year and directed for the inquiry to be completed at the earliest.

Last year’s report had pointed out massive violations of the building plan and recommended the extra storeys be removed and action be taken against two officials.

The CDA chairman had ordered a de-novo inquiry saying there are chances several other officers may be involved and that inquiry is still “under process”.

The CDA chief said the Safa Gold matter is in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which has asked the civic agency to decide on the fate of the mall.

“We will place the decision of our board members before the court, which will give its final decision,” Mr Aziz said.

The board also decided that conversion charges will not be waived for Senator Bangash. The plot in G-6 on which he started a commercial plaza was originally allotted for a marriage plot. Use of the plot was later changed to commercial but the senator did not deposit the conversion charges and according to sources, argued that the site was not suitable for a marriage hall as it was near the Lal Masjid and an imam bargah.

The board decided the senator will have to pay all conversion charges, which amount to over Rs200 million, an official told Dawn.

Speaking to Dawn, Senator Bangash said the CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory administration had opposed the construction of the marriage hall and claimed the CDA had itself changed the use of the plot from marriage hall to commercial and that therefore there was no justification for imposing conversion charges.

CDA officers held a separate meeting regarding the sealed Grand Hyatt and decided that those who had purchased flats before the cancellation of the plot will be compensated by the CDA in four instalments, all within a year, the mayor told Dawn.

He said a case in this regard is being heard in the IHC and that CDA will inform the court of its proposal to pay back buyers in instalments.

The CDA had last year sealed the under-construction Grand Hyatt for violating building and layout plans.

Following the court orders, the CDA had published advertisements on April 10 asking buyers to come forward with property documents, proof of purchase and payment details and so far, only six of the 240 buyers have contacted the CDA.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2017