Official documents related to the approval of a service area along the Rawalpindi Ring Road have surfaced, revealing the administrative process through which the project received a no-objection certificate and land-use approval earlier this year.
The documents have emerged amid an ongoing controversy over the Ring Road service area following the removal of the Rawalpindi commissioner, deputy commissioner and other officials.
According to the records, then Director General of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Kanza Murtaza issued the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the service area on Jan. 28, 2026.
The proposal was subsequently approved by the District Planning and Design Committee during a meeting held on Feb. 11, 2026.
The committee also endorsed the NOC, according to the documents.
The minutes of the meeting, chaired by then Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema, bear the signatures of 15 government officials from various departments.
The documents include site plans showing the proposed service areas and link roads on both sides of the Rawalpindi Ring Road.
The plans indicate that the service areas and link roads were designed to connect directly with the Ring Road.
According to the records, the committee approved the commercialisation of the service area, the right of way and the proposed change in land use.
It also recommended that the project's building plans be approved in accordance with the applicable building bylaws of the relevant local government.
The documents further show that a formal notification declaring the site as a service area on the Ring Road was issued.
Among those whose signatures appear on the approval documents are Chief Officer District Council Kamran Khan, Municipal Corporation Chief Officer Imran Ali and RDA Chief Planner Tahir Mayo.
The records also bear the signatures of Municipal Officer (Planning) Sohail Aslam and District Council Planning Officer Abdul Salam Abbasi.
The newly surfaced documents provide further details about the administrative approvals granted before the controversy surrounding the project emerged.
Authorities have not officially commented on how the documents may affect ongoing inquiries into the Ring Road service area approvals.