Plan to Allow Commercial Activities in Islamabad’s Zone III Raises Questions

A major commercial area is being planned in Islamabad’s protected Zone III, even though the area’s rules prohibit construction activity. The plan is tied to Margalla Enclave, a housing project the Capital Development Authority is developing in partnership with the Defence Housing Authority in Kuri.

A 3.8-kilometre link road from Park Road to the housing scheme is already under development, with earthwork nearly complete. The road cuts through Zone III, where construction is barred under CDA regulations, even on privately owned land for small houses.

Despite those restrictions, the CDA intends to establish a mega commercial area on both sides of the road. To facilitate the plan, the federal government has granted the road the status of an arterial or major road of Islamabad.

The federal government also directed the CDA through an official letter to apply regulations already notified for major routes including GT Road, Islamabad Expressway, Srinagar Highway, IJP Road and Lehtrar Road. The move has drawn scrutiny because it places a planned commercial development inside an area otherwise designated for protection.