NA body concerned over buildings without occupancy certificates.

ISLAMABAD -- A parliamentary committee on Tuesday showed concerns over Capital Development Authority (CDA)'s failure to take action against those who have been running their commercial and apartment buildings without obtaining completion certificates from the civic agency.

The completion certificate, known as occupancy certificate, deals with implementation of the layout plan, fire and safety systems, structural stability etc.

However, the owners of commercial and apartment buildings, after completing the structures, avoid getting the completion certificates mainly because of the violation of their layout plans.

Almost all high-rise commercial and apartment buildings have been operating in Islamabad without completion certificates.

The National Assembly's standing committee on interior, which met with MNA Ahmed Hussain Deharr in the chair, besides other agenda items took up the issue.

The committee discussed the issue on a calling attention notice moved by PTI's disgruntled MNA Asiya Azeem. In her calling notice, she had taken up the issue in parliament in November last year. The house had referred the matter to the committee.

The calling attention notice was 'regarding sale and lease of commercial buildings for residential purposes without completion certificates in Islamabad.'

During the meeting, the committee was told that in apartment buildings, the developers approved the transfer of apartments instead of the CDA. The committee said transfers of the apartments should be done by the CDA.

The mover of the calling attention said since apartment buildings operated without completion certificates, the developers avoided contacting the CDA and itself approved their transfers from one person to the other. The committee also asked the CDA about other commercial buildings being operated in Islamabad without having completion certificates.

The...