The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has issued three separate notices seeking the removal of alleged illegal structures linked to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in an upscale Islamabad sector, along with two seminaries reportedly run by clerics associated with the party. The move comes amid a standoff between the government and the opposition party, according to a Saturday report.
The owner of the residence has been told to clear illegal constructions from the building’s setback area, and to remove guard posts and generators placed on state land, within 15 days. The federal government has also taken steps against seminaries reportedly operated by JUI-F-affiliated clerics.
Seminary and residence notices over unapproved work
Notices dated October 29 were sent to two seminaries in Sector F-8/3 and a third in Bilal Town, near Korang Nullah, over alleged construction carried out without approval. The notice for Fazl’s residence, dated October 30, was issued by the CDA’s Building Control Section and pasted outside the property.
The document warns that non-compliance could result in the building being sealed, unauthorised structures being demolished, and the allotment of Plot No 7, Street 83, Sector G-6/4 being cancelled. It cites the CDA Ordinance and the Islamabad Capital Territory Building Control Regulations, 2020.
Party response and a 2019 notice on the same property
A previous notice, issued on March 18, 2019 during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, had also sought the removal of unauthorised constructions inside and outside the residence. The current notices are therefore not the first of their kind for the property.
Maulana Asjad Mahmood responded in a post on X, saying the CDA had objected to an extra kitchen in the setback area, a guard cabin and a generator installed outside the building. “All the institutions are bent upon victimising an individual,” he said.
Residence as a political meeting point and CDA drive
The residence has often hosted political consultations, with several leaders visiting the JUI-F chief to discuss national matters. Among them were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and opposition figures.
The CDA has been running anti-encroachment operations across Islamabad to clear public and state land and act against unauthorised construction and other violations. In a statement released earlier this month, the authority said these operations follow applicable laws and building regulations, and that cases eligible for regularisation or approval will be handled under the prescribed rules.
