Islamabad : Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) officials have decided to shut down 15 Plus cooperative housing societies that have been functioning without proper permits.
A hearing will be place next week to allow these groups one more chance to argue their case. No-objection certificates (NOCs) and approved layout plans are required for construction.
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Chief Commissioner Noor ul Amin Mengal has instructed the relevant directorate to provide the society operators an opportunity to be heard before selecting assistant commissioners (ACs) as administrators to guarantee the rights of third parties (allottees of the societies) are not infringed upon.
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The Capital Development Authority (CDA) strictly regulates privately managed housing schemes in Islamabad, whereas the business of cooperative societies owned by allottees are expected to be controlled by their elected management committees.
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The CDA gives its stamp of approval to their site plans and No Objection Certificates while the Registrar Cooperative ICT acts as their watchdog.
The commissioner has made it clear that no society can open for business until its layout plan and NOC have been authorized. He claims that the administrators of these cooperative schemes will be selected after giving the operators of these schemes a chance to be heard.
The goal is to forestall any illegal activity that could result in the overselling of plots, which would threaten the financial security of the citizens who purchased them. Also, these societies will undergo legitimate audits.
It is never too late to make amends, the commissioner says, even though he admits that action should have been taken against these scams sooner. As a result, measures will be taken against all underground communities.
As the main commissioner and secretary of Cooperative ICT, the society’s lack of an approved layout design was recently brought to light during a hearing for Commerce Cooperative Housing Society. The examination also uncovered the existence of another 16 schemes that were functioning without valid layout plans or NOCs.
The Commerce Society has been accused of both overselling plots and beginning construction without first obtaining the necessary permits. Mr. Mengal’s decision to sue the Commerce Society and 15 other schemes was a direct result of this.
The Account Group Cooperative Housing Society, the Civilian Employees Cooperative Housing Society, the Cabinet Division Cooperative Housing Society, the Federation Employees Cooperative Housing Society, the Government Officer Farming Cooperative, the Ministry of Religious Affairs Cooperative Housing Society, the PWD Employees Cooperative Housing Society, the Ministry of Commerce Cooperative Housing Society, and the OGDCL Cooperative Housing Society are all allegedly operating without approved layout plans.
In addition, there are five more co-ops whose layout plans have only been partially authorized; specifically, only the first two phases have been green-lit.
Since it was forbidden for cooperative housing societies to use the names of government ministries, the ICT and CDA demanded that the societies rename themselves within three weeks in January of the prior year. This instruction was issued after a directive from Justice Athar Minallah, a former chief justice of the Islamabad High Court.
The CDA attempted to enforce the rule by writing to the ICT circle registrar of cooperative housing societies but did not obtain a response.
In order to attract investors, especially former government officials, illegal housing societies frequently use the identities of government organizations and other entities. Regrettably, there have been instances of people losing their life savings to fraudulent housing cooperatives operating under the guise of official government agencies.
There have been a lot of investors who have acquired the paperwork for their properties but have yet to take physical ownership. A large number of unapproved layout proposals exist for other types of housing, in addition to the cooperatives.
According to a government official, the CDA should be instructed by the chief commissioner, who is also the CDA chairman, to take over the illegal housing complexes.
