Federal Government has waived the ban on high-rise commercial buildings in territory of Islamabad. As a response to this ban lift, City managers put forward latest by-laws for these buildings in order to ensure the safety & structural stability. These suggested by-laws will be forwarded to Capital Development Authority (CDA) for final approval.

Director Building Control, Faisal Naeem, presented these suggestions. He added that there would not be any limitation on the number of floors but it could not exceed in area wise from the assigned Floor Area Ratio (FAR). These proposed by-laws were assumed to be accepted on June 14 but due to absence of concerned department personnel it was postponed till the next meeting.

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Suggested By-laws                                             

Main chunks of these proposed by-laws are listed as follows:

High-rise buildings in Marakiz would have

• 1:5 FAR for 33 Marla (1000 Sq. Yd.) plot
• 1:6 FAR for more than 33 Marla (1000 Sq. Yd.) plot

In Blue Area, buildings area with proposed FAR are mentioned below:

• 1:8 FAR for 3000 Sq. Yd. plot
• 1:9 FAR for 3000-5000 Sq. Yd plot
• 1:10 FAR for more than 5000 Sq. Yd plot

Furthermore, it was also proposed that the revenue generated in the name of approval should be utilized in development work & improving services mainly including water, sewerage & drainage issues in different sectors.

CDA Stance on Commercial Skyscrapers

CDA town planner believed that although it’s a good omen for commercial activities & economy but we should not overlook hazards of high-rise buildings if not managed properly. He added that fire brigade system lacks the ability to manage any fire incident happened at the height more than 68 meters.

In addition, several commercial buildings had no completion certificates as well that is a prerequisite for any building. This certificate is only granted if that infrastructure meets the guidelines prescribed by the concerned department.

CDA believes that there is a dire need of implementation of present rules & regulations before making others. Furthermore, other concerned bodies including Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) should also present their stance before the approval of new by-laws.

On March 26, the ban on commercial high-rise buildings was waived in several areas of Islamabad on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The decision was taken to promote the vertical growth of city rather than horizontal.