Due to growing trend of commercial activities in residential areas, business of commercial centers is suffering badly and CDA should take urgent measures to curb the non-confirming use of residential premises, said Khalid Chaudhry, Senior Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry in a statement. 
 

He said this trend is not only causing losses to genuine businessmen and forcing them to wind up their business in commercial areas, the non-conforming use of private houses is also giving rise to crimes rate in residential areas. He said many furniture & clothes shops, gyms, guest houses, private schools, offices and clinics are running in residential areas without any check. Existence of such businesses in residential areas is promoting crimes due to which the residents are quite concerned. 
 

Khalid Chaudhry said this factor also thwarted the CDA move to auction commercial plots. The civic body had offered 56 commercial plots for auction, but only 24 were auctioned while the 9 bidders left the auction process even forfeiting their token money. 
 

He said the businessmen in commercial areas are charged commercial rates for utility services which are quite high while the businesses running in residential premises are charged domestic rates for same services which are quite economical and act as a motivating factor for doing business in residential areas. 
 

Khalid Chaudhry alleged that staff of CDA’s Building Control Section is involved in non-conforming use of residences for commercial activities as they take get undue financial benefits from culprits and help as well as facilitate them in such illegal activities.
 

He said CDA is trying to enforce parking fee in markets, but has been unable to stop non-conforming use of about 6000 residential houses for commercial activities. CDA has the authority to cancel plots as well as cut utility services of residential houses found guilty of non-conforming use, but strangely enough the civic body is taking no measures to stop this dangerous trend.
 

Khalid Chaudhry appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif to direct CDA to immediately remove all commercial activities from residential areas and take action against the responsible persons who are involved in promoting such illegal activities.