Ownership & Management: Clause in ‘ICT Condominium Bill’ termed un-Islamic

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Monday termed a clause in “The Islamabad Capital Territory Condominium (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026” un-Islamic and deferred the bill till next meeting.

The committee met here at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. The chairman deferred the bill on the request of members who wanted to consult their prior approval for the bill on the observation made by the chairman.

In the bill: ownership in case of destruction Chapter II Section 8 (b): the property shall be subject to an action for partition at the suit of any unit owner in which even, the net proceeds of sale together with the net proceeds of the insurance on the property, if any, shall be considered as one fund and shall be divided amongst all the unit owners in the percentage equal to the percentage of undivided interest owned by each unit owner in the property after settlement of the liabilities of property or otherwise.

In his ruling, Chairman Committee said “Insurance” is simply interest and gambling by another name and against the bill (The 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024) passed by Parliament.

The 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2024 had established a deadline of January 1, 2028, for the end of the practice of Riba (interest-based banking) in the country.

The clause was added to the draft amendments at the suggestion of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman-led party.

A Member Committee Syed Rafiullah asked the chair to give some time to consult with their parties meanwhile, also been received Prime Minister’s Task Force recommendations comprising banking sectors consents in the bill.

The committee considered “The Islamabad Capital Territory Condominium (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2026” (Government Bill), along with other matters relating to the allotment of government houses, procedures for allotment to Estate Office employees, and the development of federal housing projects.

The Committee offered Fateha for the lives lost in the suicide blasts at Imambargah in the outskirts of Rawalpindi, as well as in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).

The Committee discussed in detail the Government Bill, and decided to defer it until the next meeting to further consider and discuss the report of the task force relating to the said Bill.

In response to Starred Question No 96, relating to the allotment of government houses, audit mechanisms, and procedures for allotment to Estate Office employees, submitted by Syed Rafiullah,, the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, informed the Committee that the Ministry is working to improve the functioning of the Estate Office. He acknowledged existing dysfunction within the Estate Office and stated that measures are being implemented to introduce transparency and accountability through automation, eliminate inefficiencies and corrupt practices, and reduce the administrative burden by applying modern technology.

The Committee also discussed the budgetary proposals of the Ministry of Housing and Works relating to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the financial year 2026–27, under Rule 201(6) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The Ministry informed the Committee that a total of 31 projects, including 26 ongoing projects and five new projects, pertaining to the Election Commission of Pakistan, are included in the PSDP for FY 2026–27.

The Ministry further informed the Committee that it is working to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all government-owned assets in Karachi and other locations in order to safeguard the Government’s valuable properties.

The minister also stated that clear directions have been issued to fully cooperate with local MNAs to resolve outstanding issues, complete pending projects, and refrain from initiating new projects until existing projects are completed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026