Rawalpindi: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has permitted the owners of 14 houses situated near Saidpur Road to convert their residential accommodations into 10-storey commercial plazas, according to a news report published on January 31.
According to the details revealed, the civic agency provided its approval on the instructions of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Though the plots of these houses were semi-commercial, the owners were not allowed to develop structures over 30 feet in height because of the area’s proximity to the old Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
As per CAA’s regulations, construction of high rises in areas surrounding the airport is prohibited. However, in the wake of the airport’s relocation to the new site (near Fatehjang), the CAA (after consultation with Aviation Minister Gulam Sarwar Khan) permitted the resi-to-plaza conversions near Saidpur Road.
RDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza revealed that the said area was declared semi-commercial last year, adding that RDA is only acting as a facilitator and will mobilise the community for commercialization to promote businesses and revenue inflows.
Hazafa reveres the art of writing and has been turned into a property enthusiast by profession. Her daily survival kit includes; tea, coffee, keyboard and paperbacks.
