Federal govt directs CDA to launch vertical housing in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has tabled a policy framework on vertical housing to discourage the horizontal expansion of the federal capital.

In a review meeting with members of the Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) on Tuesday, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal directed CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa to initiate vertical housing projects in Islamabad.

CDA official said that there is no building in Islamabad that is more than 450 feet tall while in other cities of the world, 700 to 800 feet residential-cum-commercial buildings are the new normal.”

“Pakistan cannot afford to continue expanding horizontally to meet residential and commercial needs,” said Minister Ahsan Iqbal, adding that “we must prioritize vertical housing to protect our green spaces, ensure food security, and provide affordable housing for all, especially for the deprived segments of our society”.

He lauded the focus on vertical housing, but also stressed the capacity building of the civic agency. The CDA should also be equipped to cope with any emergency in the high-rises as currently, the emergency and disaster management of the civic agency cannot extinguish fire in any building that is more than 225 feet tall.

Apart from that, a meeting of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board was held under the chairmanship of Chairman CDA, Muhammad Ali Randhawa. The CDA Board discussed various agenda items, including the Paternity and Maternity Leave policies.

Addressing the meeting, CDA chief Randhawa said that Capital Hospital would be made financially and administratively strong. The meeting also approved the recruitment of doctors and paramedical staff for vacant positions in the Capital Hospital.

The CDA Board reviewed revenue generation targets and decided to hold weekly meetings to ensure timely decision-making and completion of ongoing projects.