Govt urged not to allow housing societies near airports

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday said that the government should not allow anyone to launch housing societies situated near airports in the country. The session of committee was chaired by Senator Kalsoom Perveen and attended by its members and officials of the concerned departments to discuss the matter of housing societies in the surroundings of the New Islamabad International Airport. Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed, told the committee members that 12 housing societies were situated within a four to six kilometers radius of the New Islamabad International Airport. “There are no rules and regulations regarding the issuance of NOC (no objection certificate) to the housing societies near the airports while there is no fixed limit of distance between the airport and the housing societies,” he said, adding that the parliament should play its role in legislating laws in this regard. Committee Chairperson Senator Kalsoom Parveen said that it should be the responsibility of the concerned departments and district governments to stop the construction of housing societies near the airports. Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that it was the responsibility of all stakeholders to perform their role in stopping the construction of illegal housing societies close to the airports. Members of the committee said that strict legislation regarding the issuance of NOC could be helpful to stop the construction of such housing societies. Security measures at airports across the country have been revamped following attacks on Karachi's international airport and the shooting on a aircraft in Peshawar.