• December 1, 2021
• advertising
• Web Desk

ISLAMABAD – The administration of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has banned with immediate effect all sorts of advertisements as steamers, boards, banners and others regarding housing societies and projects in the capital city limits which do not reflect valid NOC issued by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

A notification to this effect was issued by the administrator MCI Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat on Tuesday. Earlier, on November 21, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration had prohibited any sort of publication regarding launching of any housing scheme that is operating in the territory of Islamabad in the manner not warranted by the law.

An order issued by District Magistrate Islamabad on November 21, 2021 said that it was brought to the notice of the District Magistrate that some housing societies, trusts, limited companies, groups, etc. are operating in the territory of Islamabad in the manner not warranted by the law relating thereto. “Such societies, companies, trusts, groups, etc. allure the public at large by advertising the launching of housing schemes in newspapers, magazines, brochures and booklets and even through local sale,” read the order. It further said such societies, trusts, companies, etc. invite membership either in excess of the land available to them or without having any land at all.

“This practice results into exploitation, fraud, forgery, disputes, offences, law and order problems and massive litigation in courts,” the order issued under section 144 of the CrPC said.

The district administration banned any sort of publication regarding sale of plots, inviting applications to deposit membership fee or cost of plots in such housing schemes, without observing all legal and codal formalities as envisaged in the laws applicable thereto unless prior permission is obtained from the office of the district magistrate. This order shall remain in force for a period of two months. The ICT administration believes that speculative transactions also emerge out of the situation which jeopardize the interest of the general public and deprive it of its hard-earned money, thus creating panic and anxiety in the society.

Last week, the capital administration had also launched a property verification centre to counter property-related fraud in the city. Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat inaugurated the Property Verification Centre (PVC) at Facilitation Centre in the DC Office.

The Centre was a joint venture of the capital administration and Capital Development Authority (CDA), and a portal had been created having records of land and housing societies of the CDA and the capital administration. The DC also requested people to use the CityApp launched by the administration. Overseas Pakistanis and citizens residing in other parts of the country were the main victims of land fraud committed in the capital in the name of housing societies as majority of these societies had either been declared illegal or did not fall in the jurisdiction of Islamabad. Scores of housing societies are actually located outside the capital limits, but their owners claim they are in the capital to attract buyers. The verification centre will allow a purchaser to check the legal status of the plot before closing a deal.

Source: The Nation Tahir Niaz