A resurfaced Capital Development Authority (CDA) report has revealed serious fire safety gaps across thousands of buildings in Islamabad, drawing fresh attention after a nursery fire at a major hospital in the capital. The findings highlight how widespread the compliance issue is across both private and government structures.
The report, originally compiled in January, is now being revisited as authorities push for stronger enforcement of fire safety regulations citywide.
What the CDA Fire Safety Report Found
According to the report, the majority of the 6,500 buildings surveyed in Islamabad had not obtained approved fire safety plans, completion certificates, or valid fire safety certificates. The survey also covered around 300 government buildings, uncovering significant gaps in fire safety and hazard control measures even within public institutions.
The findings were originally discussed during a CDA meeting held in January, but have taken on renewed urgency following recent fire-related incidents in the capital.
What Building Owners in Islamabad Are Required to Do
Following the survey, the civic body has directed building owners and occupants to submit the required fire safety certificates within 15 days of notification. CDA has warned that failure to comply could result in fines and further legal action under the CDA Ordinance and the Islamabad Capital Territory Building Control Regulations.
Officials say the enforcement drive will prioritize high-occupancy buildings such as hospitals, schools, and commercial plazas, given the greater risk to public safety in the event of a fire emergency.
The CDA has urged property owners to treat the fire safety certification process as an urgent priority rather than wait for the compliance deadline to approach.
Fire safety compliance has repeatedly emerged as a weak point in Islamabad’s regulatory framework, with previous surveys also flagging similar gaps in years past without leading to widespread enforcement. The resurfacing of this particular report following a hospital nursery fire has added renewed pressure on the CDA to demonstrate that this round of enforcement will be different.
Architects and safety consultants say many older commercial buildings in Islamabad were constructed before stricter fire code requirements were introduced, making retrofitting both technically challenging and costly for property owners, particularly in densely built commercial plazas.
The CDA has indicated it may offer technical guidance sessions for building owners struggling to meet certification requirements, though no formal support program has been announced publicly at this stage.
Fire safety experts have urged the CDA to consider a phased compliance timeline for smaller businesses that may lack the financial resources to complete major structural upgrades within the standard 15-day window. They note that a rigid enforcement timeline, without accompanying support measures, could result in many small businesses simply closing rather than investing in expensive retrofits, which would carry its own economic consequences for the capital’s commercial sector.
How the CDA balances strict enforcement with practical support for building owners is likely to determine whether this latest push meaningfully improves fire safety standards across Islamabad in the months ahead.
Insurance providers operating in Islamabad have also indicated they may begin factoring fire safety certification status into commercial policy pricing, adding further financial incentive for building owners to complete the compliance process promptly.
The fire safety push adds to a wider set of enforcement actions in the capital this year, including the recent crackdown on illegal shisha cafes, reflecting a broader civic push for stricter regulatory compliance across Islamabad.
Building owners who have already completed the certification process say the paperwork, while time-consuming, was manageable once they engaged a licensed fire safety consultant, a route CDA officials have also recommended to other property owners facing the same deadline.
