Rawalpindi (Sanober Kiani): Acting on the directives of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division and Director General of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Salman Ghani, the Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) Directorate of the RDA has intensified its crackdown against illegal and unapproved housing schemes by issuing show-cause notices to the owners and Chief Executive Officers of 13 housing schemes and land subdivision projects.
The housing schemes and projects served with notices include Bahria Town Phase VIII Extension, Capital Smart City Phase III, Qurtaba City Extension, Blue Sky Garden, Aqua Green Farms, Mughal Farms (Murree Jabar Road), Kohistan Enclave Extension-I, the farmhouses of Azhar Kiani, Fakhar Kiani, and Nadeem Qureshi (Kallar Syedan Road, Sagri), Muhammad Jameel’s land subdivision (Kallar Syedan Road, Shah Bagh), Ali Properties & Developers’ land subdivision project (Sarwar Shaheen Road, Mandrah), Bhagwal Valley (Raqba Tarash Builders & Developers), Saleem Baloch’s farmhouses (Mandrah–Chakwal Road, Bhakkar Adda), and Sukhi Town (a Zone Property project on Mandrah–Chakwal Road, Rawalpindi).
The notices have been issued over allegations of illegal development activities, unauthorized booking of plots, unlawful advertising and marketing on social media, and other violations of applicable laws.
According to an RDA spokesperson, the schemes and land subdivision projects have violated Section 12(5) of the Punjab Development of Cities Act, 1976, as well as Rule 4 of the Punjab Development Authorities Private Housing Schemes Rules, 2021.
The RDA has warned the general public to avoid investing in illegal and unapproved housing schemes and not to be misled by fraudulent claims. Citizens have been advised to verify the legal status and No Objection Certificate (NOC) of any housing project with the RDA before making any investment.
The Authority has also directed the sponsors, owners, and developers of these projects to immediately halt all forms of advertising, marketing, sale and purchase of plots, and development activities. They have been instructed to obtain the required NOC and approvals from the RDA in accordance with the law, failing which strict legal action will be initiated under the relevant legal provisions.
The RDA further clarified that under Section 37 of the Punjab Development of Cities Act, 1976, a daily fine ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000, depending on the size of the scheme, may also be imposed.
In addition, the Authority has written to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing Islamabad, and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Islamabad to seek action against the illegal promotion of unauthorized housing schemes on social media, WhatsApp, YouTube, and other online platforms. These institutions have been informed that certain owners and developers are misleading the public by falsely claiming that their housing schemes have obtained NOCs from the RDA.
The RDA has instructed all concerned owners and developers to submit their written replies within seven days of receiving the notices. Failure to respond within the stipulated period will be deemed as having no defense to present, after which the Authority will be empowered to proceed with legal action under the relevant laws and regulations without issuing any further notice.
Commissioner Rawalpindi Division and Director General RDA Salman Ghani has directed the MP&TE Directorate to continue impartial, effective, and strict enforcement operations against illegal and unauthorized housing schemes, unlawful commercial activities, illegal booking offices, and encroachments to ensure the rule of law and safeguard the interests of the public.