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ISLAMABAD, Jul 18 (APP):Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Friday directed the creation of a comprehensive digital database of all housing and cooperative societies operating within Islamabad, curbing real estate fraud and improving urban planning.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Chairman CDA. Senior CDA officials and district administration representatives were present, including Member Planning Dr. Khalid Hafiz, who briefed the meeting on the status of legal action against unapproved housing schemes.
The upcoming database will include detailed records of layout plans, No Objection Certificates (NOCs), zone classifications, and the number of plots approved and sold by each society. Special attention will be paid to societies involved in overselling — that is, issuing more plot files than the land they legally possess.
“Every housing society and cooperative society under CDA and ICT jurisdiction must be brought into a single, transparent system,” said Randhawa. “This database will not only ensure regulatory oversight but will also empower citizens to verify the legal status of societies before making any investment.”
The CDA has already uploaded a list of legal and illegal housing societies to its official website, but the new system is expected to offer more detailed, regularly updated information.
Potential buyers will be able to verify whether a society has an approved layout plan, valid NOC, and whether it is operating within legal boundaries.
Officials say the database will serve as a powerful tool for both enforcement agencies and the general public. “Fraudulent housing schemes will no longer be able to hide behind paperwork or legal ambiguities,” said an official from the CDA’s Planning Wing.
Chairman Randhawa also directed that legal action be taken against housing societies that are found to be violating approved layout plans or NOCs.
Societies selling plots without CDA approval, or exceeding their approved limits, will be subject to penalties and legal proceedings. Suppliers of construction materials to these illegal projects may also face action.
This initiative comes at a time when Islamabad has seen a surge in unauthorized housing schemes, particularly in the city’s rural zones.
The CDA’s renewed focus on digitization and transparency is being welcomed by urban planners and citizen groups concerned about the city’s unregulated expansion.
“Our objective is not just enforcement, but public protection,” Randhawa emphasized. “The database will allow citizens to make informed decisions, and it will support our broader mission to develop Islamabad in a legal, sustainable, and people-centered way.”
The new database is expected to go live in the coming months and will be integrated with the CDA’s planning wing for real-time updates and public access.