15 CDA officials declared proclaimed offenders

Accused allegedly facilitated establishment of informal settlements in capital

ISLAMABAD:

Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) who allegedly facilitated the establishment of the city’s fastest growing irregular settlement at a green belt between sectors H-9 and H-10, have been declared proclaimed offenders by a special court on Friday.

Special Judge (Central) Malik Nazir Ahmed issued a written proclamation for 15 officials of the CDA, on an application submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).



While allowing the application, the court directed the FIA to initiate proceedings against the 15 officials under sections 87 (proclamation for persons absconding) of the Criminal Procedure Code, after the FIA informed the court that they were unable to execute earlier warrants issued by the court.

The FIA has listed Maqbool Anwar, a CDA director; four deputy directors, Waheed Abbas Bhatti, Mian Dabeer Ali Shabbir, Fazal Deen Khan, Asif Majeed; two assistant directors, Muhammad Iqbal Fazal and Badar Maqsood; three Range Officers, Raja Muhammad Shafiq, Ghulam Jilani and Ijazul Haq; two inspectors, Babar Sohail and Bilal Zafar Malik; sub-inspector Abdul Majeed; supervisor Mukhtar Hussain; and a gardener Azeem Masih.

Around 42 officials have been booked in the case.



According to the FIR, a large area of the capital owned or acquired by the CDA was either under illegal possession, or encroached upon with the connivance, assistance and abetment of CDA officers and officials.

In certain instances, the FIR stated, this practice has resulted in illegal settlements or katchi abadis within the capital violating the master plan of Islamabad and its zoning regulations with impunity. During the enquiry, it transpired that among the land acquired by the CDA, 56 katchi abadis were established with the support of CDA officials.

In the current case, the FIA maintains that records of just two katchi abadis — Akram Gill Colony and Rimsha Colony, established on green belts in 2009 — has been obtained. The investigating agency claims that action against other katchi abadis will be initiated after obtaining the relevant records.

The FIA also maintains that the charter of duties of all relevant wings of CDA was obtained from the agency. In light of this, the investigators say halting these informal settlements was the responsibility of the enforcement directorate and environment wing of the authority.



“Officers and officials who remained posted in these sectors from 2009 till date are responsible for the illegal establishment of these katchi abadis,” the FIA stated.

As per CDA records and satellite images, the FIR states that these two katchi abadis were established and increased on a daily basis unlawfully with the facilitation of CDA officials. It further states that it was the duty of CDA’s enforcement and environment wings to halt and vacate these unlawful occupants. Officials posted during the period have put no significant efforts to halt the informal settlements, it added.

The development came in the backdrop of a complaint lodged by Additional Inspector-General Punjab Hussain Asghar, who is currently conducting an interior ministry-ordered inquiry into the establishment of irregular settlements in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2016.