New by-laws proposed as height restrictions lifted by government

ISLAMABAD: New by-laws have been proposed by Director Building Control, as the Federal government lifted height restrictions in the federal capital.

A committee headed by Director Building Control Faisal Naeem informed of the finalised proposal that will be presented to the CDA board for approval.

There will be no restrictions on the number of storeys but the buildings constructed would have to follow the floor area ratio (FAR), he said.

The plan proposed by the committee for the Marakiz has a FAR of 1:6 for plot measuring over 1,000 square yards, and 1:5 for 1,000 square yard plots.

In the Blue Area, the FAR plots measuring up to 300 square yards would be 1:8, for 3,000 to 5,000 sq yard 1:9 and for 5,000 sq yard and above 1:10. For class-three shopping centers, the plan proposed allows one additional floor to make ground plus two storeys.

The CDA board has the final authority to grant approval or rejection of these by-laws.
As per sources, the proposal of by-laws by the committee has suggested that the revenue which will be generated from approving the proposal following the new by-laws should be spent on improving services in the areas.
With a desperate need to improve amenities in Islamabad, an official of the CDA has expressed the importance of involving different institutions before the new height limit proposal is finalized.

Implementing the existing by-laws strictly is also necessary, as numerous high-rise buildings have no completion certificates, which are is imperative for operating a building.

Simultaneously, CDA officials informed that by-laws for new buildings on major roads such as Murree Road, Park Road, Lehtrar Road, Islamabad Expressway and GT Road have been lined up for the next board meeting, as they were finalized but not yet approved.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) uplifted the height limits in certain areas, including Blue Area.

However, an announcement made by the CAA declared that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would still have to permit the construction of buildings in the vicinity of Nur Khan Air Base.