ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday decided to strictly implement its regulations under which housing societies are bound to have allotment letters of plots vetted by the civic agency.

According to the CDA, this step is being taken to protect citizens’ investments, as these regulations are aimed at stopping over-invoicing by housing societies, as in the majority of cases, societies sold plots without having the required land.

As a result, thousands of citizens, despite paying amounts to owners of housing societies, were not provided plots. Besides, many housing societies had also sold amenity land, which was originally reserved for green areas, mosques and schools.

“Now, if the said regulations are implemented, no society can sell plots without the involvement of CDA, as the civic agency, before vetting the sale deed, will check whether the plot in question is present in the layout plan or not,” said an official of the CDA.

Civic agency also directs 66 approved housing schemes to display verified layout plans on their websites for buyers

The CDA’s regulations stated: “All allotment letters of housing projects issued by sponsors [owners of the project] shall be shared with CDA for regulating the saleable area within approved LOP and Building Plans,” read the regulations.

It further said that CDA would ensure that only those plots would be allowed to be allotted/transferred which are part of the approved LOP of schemes. Whereas, according to the regulations, “the plots, units, land, transferred to and mortgaged with the CDA, under the provisions of this regulation, shall not be allowed to be allotted/transferred, until redeemed by the CDA.”

CDA’s planning wing, which deals with housing societies, on Thursday wrote a letter to the building control department and enforcement directorate of CDA about the implementation of the said regulations.

Meanwhile, the planning wing, in the same letter, also directed 66 approved housing schemes to display their approved layout plans on their websites and within the societies, aimed at keeping citizens updated about the status of plots.

In Islamabad, the majority of housing societies are accused of over-invoicing (selling more plots than available land) and eating up amenity plots.

CDA’s planning wing, through the letter, directed all approved housing schemes to display approved layout plans.

The letter said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had pointed out that sponsors and developers in the housing schemes are misrepresenting the approval status of housing schemes by “Not displaying approved layout plans or by presenting outdated or unapproved plans to the public. This lack of transparency misleads prospective buyers and creates false impression regarding the legal status of such schemes, ultimately resulting in loss and hardship to the general public,” read the letter, which was addressed to all 66 approved housing schemes.

“Therefore, in order to safeguard the interest of the general public from deception and fraud, it is essential to ensure transparency through the availability and display of verified and updated information regarding approved layout plans of housing schemes,” read the letter, adding that housing societies are directed to upload and regularly update the approved layout plans on their official websites, at reception areas of all sites and booking offices. “The display must be at least 7x5 feet (or sized appropriately for the available spaces) to ensure maximum visibility; a QR code must also be included on the display, linked directly to the official website for access to detailed project updates,” read the letter.

It is relevant to note here that besides 66 approved schemes, there are 199 illegal housing schemes (including 53 that fall outside the limits of Islamabad but use the capital city’s name to attract investors).

Recently, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi also stated there were 199 illegal housing societies in Islamabad and that CDA teams were working on each of them.

“We will give these schemes an option of registration [to come under regulations]. We will bring them into our regulatory framework so they can fulfil deficiencies and remove illegalities. We will certainly take action and impose fines as well,” he had said.

“After taking charge, I directed the CDA to take steps to stop unauthorised construction. We are monitoring construction through satellite,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2026