Senate Panel Directs CDA to Act Against Unauthorised Hostels in Islamabad
Committee chairman calls for immediate enforcement in residential sectors; CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf says the authority will take full action in accordance with court directions as the matter remains under judicial consideration.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control has called for immediate action against unauthorised hostels operating from residential properties in Islamabad, bringing the long-running issue of non-conforming use in the federal capital back under parliamentary scrutiny.
During the committee proceedings on Monday, the activities of hostels operating in residential neighbourhoods were discussed, with the committee chairman directing that establishments functioning in violation of applicable rules should be dealt with without further delay.
Official Senate records identify Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman as chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, while Senator Dilawar Khan is among its members.
Senator Dilawar Khan told the meeting that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had previously given assurances that it would take action on the issue, questioning why the matter had not yet been fully resolved.
Responding to the committee, CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Sohail Ashraf said the matter concerning unauthorised hostels was before the Islamabad High Court and that the civic authority would proceed in accordance with directions received from the court. According to the proceedings shared with Islamabad Tribune, the CDA chairman assured the committee that the authority would take “100 percent” action in accordance with the applicable legal framework.
Sohail Ashraf is currently serving as Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, according to the authority’s official records.
CDA Says Court Proceedings Affect Enforcement
The Senate Secretariat’s revised notice confirms that the Interior and Narcotics Control Committee meeting was scheduled for August 31, 2026, at 11:00am in Committee Room No. 2 at Parliament House, Islamabad, and that the CDA chairman had been called to brief senators on several capital-related matters. The residential-hostel issue was not identified as a separate item in the published revised agenda; however, the agenda expressly allowed the committee to consider “any other item with the permission of the Chair.”
The controversy surrounding hostels and other commercial activities in Islamabad’s residential sectors is not new. CDA regulations have historically treated the use of houses for purposes inconsistent with their designated residential use as non-conforming use.
In May 2024, the Islamabad High Court dismissed dozens of petitions challenging restrictions on non-conforming use, including petitions involving hostels and educational institutions. Reporting at the time said the dismissal also brought earlier restraining orders against CDA enforcement to an end.
The issue returned to the courts subsequently. In November 2025, the Islamabad High Court directed CDA to proceed against unauthorised guesthouses and hostels in residential areas after dismissing a number of petitions and vacating a stay that had restricted enforcement in those proceedings.
Long-Running Dispute Over Residential Use
The broader regulatory dispute stretches back more than a decade. In 2015, CDA presented the Supreme Court with a phased plan to eliminate non-conforming commercial activity from residential properties, giving hostels and guesthouses a transition period before enforcement. The Supreme Court approved the framework for implementation.
Despite repeated enforcement drives and court proceedings, hostels, guesthouses and other activities operating from residential premises have remained a recurring planning and enforcement issue in Islamabad.
The CDA chairman’s latest statement before the Senate committee indicates that judicial proceedings remain relevant to the authority’s next steps. The exact case or proceedings referred to by the chairman during Monday’s discussion were not identified in the material immediately available publicly.
The committee’s intervention is expected to place renewed pressure on CDA to clarify the current legal position and demonstrate what enforcement measures can be undertaken against residential properties being used as hostels without the required approvals.
