Anti-encroachment campaign: CDA re-initiates drive against illegal kiosks

Razed kiosks have already started popping up again

ISLAMABAD: With no mechanism in place to keep a check on the re-emergence of encroachments, a number of kiosks dismantled recently in the capital have popped back up. The Capital development Authority (CDA), in view of the recent development has announced it would reinitiate its anti-encroachment drive against illegal kiosks from Thursday (today).

In November 2015, the capital’s civic agency carried out a massive anti-encroachment drive in the city. Within a period of two weeks, some 319 illegal kiosks were bulldozed.

According to municipal records, there existed some 516 kiosks within CDA’s limit. Many of these are illegal and liable to be removed.

Contrary to the civic agency’s claim, the Islamabad Kiosks Association (IKA) has argued that around 485 kiosk owners hold valid licences.

The CDA initiated the drive against kiosks after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched a crackdown against the civic agency’s officials for their alleged involvement in the establishment of informal settlements across the capital.

Over 50 CDA officials have been booked in this case.

Fearing a similar crackdown, the CDA started the massive drive back in November 2015.

The situation led to protest demonstrations against the CDA’s Enforcement Wing.

Several parliamentarians also spoke against the drive, calling it “cruel and anti-poor”.

The National Assembly (NA) also formed a special committee headed by MNA Ibadullah to resolve the issue.

In light of the recommendations of the committee, it was decided that a summary seeking restoration of dismantled kiosks would be moved for the approval of the CDA board, while further action against the encroachments was also stopped on the insistence of the committee.

Taking a cue from the committee, a number of kiosk operators have started re-establishing their razed kiosks. This situation has now become a cause of worry for the CDA officials.

While talking to The Express Tribune, CDA Enforcement Deputy Director Ammaduddin acknowledged this detail. He said a number of kiosks had begun to reappear without any permission from the CDA.

The official said the enforcement wing had written a letter to the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) over the issue, but it said the issue was currently pending with the CDA Board and that these kiosks had no legal cover.

“Keeping the situation in mind, it has been decided to re-initiate the campaign from Thursday (today). All kiosks which have been re-established will be removed during the campaign,” Din claimed.

On the other hand, Muhammad Sarfaraz Abbasi, secretary general of the IKA, said that the CDA Board was deliberately delaying approval of a summary that seeks restoration of the bulldozed kiosks.

He said that if the civic agency re-initiated the operation, kiosk owners and their families would protest against the CDA outside parliament.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2016.