CDA Weighs Ground-Plus-One Revival for Historic Siraj Covered Market in Islamabad

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has concluded a final hearing on proposed changes to building bylaws for the historic Siraj Covered Market in Islamabad's G-6 sector, according to CDA sources. The session brought together the leaseholder, area residents and representatives of the civic agency, but the authority has not yet issued the minutes of the meeting, and any proposal must still secure approval from the CDA board.

A participant said the discussions indicated near agreement on a ground-plus-one construction model. Sources added that the latest hearing also weighed allowing a lower-ground level along with a basement reserved for parking, a design intended to address the limited space around the site.

The original Siraj Covered Market was designed by a British architect as a single-storey, inward-facing complex with a distinctive zigzag layout. The CDA built the market as a signature development and leased it to a private party, Mr Siraj, in 1966. The site sits along Begum Sarfraz Iqbal Road, a narrow service road running from the Melody side toward the Prime Minister Secretariat.

The authority later drew criticism after it changed the building rules following the lease in 2007, permitting a multi-storey replacement. Those revised terms allowed full ground coverage, a floor area ratio of 1:4, a ground floor with three upper storeys and two parking basements. The new leaseholder subsequently demolished the original structure to take advantage of the amended permissions, removing a prominent landmark from the federal capital.

Local residents opposed the decision and challenged it in the Supreme Court, which restrained the CDA from altering the bylaws and forced the authority to retreat. The site has remained vacant since then, and residents say they have lost access to a neighbourhood market for everyday essentials.

Before seeking public feedback last year, the CDA placed another redevelopment proposal before its board. The planning wing sought approval for a seven- to eight-storey building with 50 per cent ground coverage, a floor area ratio of 1:4 and a basement set aside for parking. According to the sources, that summary omitted the fact that the CDA had itself built the original market before leasing it out in 1966.