City and District Real Estate News

Karachi : ReNews District Correspondent

Residents of Clifton and Defence, together with Jamaat-e-Islami, plan to approach the Sindh High Court to challenge the Nehr-e-Khayyam project, citing concerns about its impact on drainage and the canal’s natural waterway. The petition is expected to seek measures to preserve the canal’s natural flow and ensure proper drainage arrangements.

Residents fear that concrete structures and changes to the canal’s natural width could restrict the movement of rainwater and tidal water, increasing the risk of urban flooding during heavy rainfall. The legal challenge comes as construction is reportedly nearly 80% complete. Residents have also questioned the timing of the project’s environmental review. The Local Government Department sought guidance from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), even though construction was already well underway.

Rasha Tariq of the Clifton Residents Committee said workers were continuing construction around the clock. She claimed that three drains built along the canal could worsen flooding, citing homes that were flooded last year after one of the drains was constructed. Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Deputy Chief Saifuddin Advocate said the government sought an environmental impact assessment only after residents protested. He argued that authorities should have completed the mandatory assessment before approving the project and beginning construction. Residents’ concerns centre on whether changes to the canal and its adjoining drainage system could affect nearby neighbourhoods during heavy rain. The petition is expected to ask the court to protect the waterway and ensure that drainage arrangements are sufficient to manage rainwater and tidal flows.

Islamabad | ReNews District Correspondent

A government-run girls’ school in Islamabad’s Kurri area is facing safety concerns after excavation work nearby left the building exposed on three sides, according to the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).
In a letter sent to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) on October 26, the FDE said the removal of soil around Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMSG) had weakened the building’s foundation and left it close to a steep, vertical drop. The directorate warned that hundreds of students, teachers and support staff could be at risk.

The FDE said an on-site inspection found that excavation linked to the Margalla Orchard Scheme had removed soil from three sides of the school. The housing project is being developed by FGEHA in partnership with the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). Describing the excavation as unscientific and unchecked, the directorate said the loss of surrounding ground support had placed the building in a critical condition. It urged FGEHA to stop excavation near the school and carry out structural rehabilitation, including building retaining walls and installing other reinforcements.

FGEHA spokesperson Faiz Ahmed Sial denied the authority’s involvement. He said an inspection carried out after the complaint found that the school was outside the boundaries of the Margalla Orchard Scheme. Another FGEHA official suggested that the school might instead be within the adjacent Margalla Enclave project, developed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in partnership with DHA. The official said the site did not fall within FGEHA’s scheme. The FDE’s letter identifies excavation associated with Margalla Orchard as the source of the concern, while FGEHA disputes that the work falls within its project.The available statements do not establish which project boundary covers the school or which authority is responsible for the excavation.

Lahore | Riaz Hussain, Chief Reporter, ReNews Pakistan

Plot numbers have been allotted to successful candidates in the sixth draw for commercial and residential plots, held on September 9 on the directions of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Tahir Farooq. A total of 68 candidates who had paid a 20% down payment were allotted plot numbers.

The computerised draw for the allotment of plot numbers was held at the LDA Sports Complex in Johar Town. It included 25 commercial plots measuring four marlas in LDA City Business Bay, 30 five-marla commercial plots in LDA Avenue One’s Commercial Zone, and 13 five-marla residential plots in Johar Town’s Block K.

According to the LDA, the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) conducted the draw transparently using pseudocode. Successful candidates can check their plot numbers on the LDA website, lda.gop.pk.
Tahir Farooq congratulated the successful candidates and said the LDA was offering plots in its schemes on easy three-year instalments. A large number of citizens attended the draw ceremony.

Islamabad : ReNews District Correspondent Work on Islamabad’s Kashmir Chowk Underpass has reached 78% completion in 20 days, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said during a visit to the project site. The minister reviewed construction progress and directed officials to complete the remaining work promptly while meeting the project’s scheduled timeline. Officials briefed Naqvi that the underpass would be completed within the planned 30-day period. Road construction, asphalt work and horticulture were progressing, while workers were installing light poles and fixtures. Naqvi also directed authorities to improve the area with landscaping and decorative lighting. He said 6,000 trees would be planted around the project. The underpass is expected to ease travel towards Murree and Muzaffarabad and improve commuting between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Naqvi said the government was also taking steps to address congestion on the Islamabad Expressway.