Drive against land grabbers: an eyewash
With 1,000 acres recovered, a piece of plot backed by an influential politician looks to stall operation.
ISLAMABAD:
In a bid to avoid Supreme Court’s wrath and media criticism, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started a futile operation to recover its encroached-upon land from influential parties.
A press statement issued on Monday from CDA Public Relations Directorate said, “[The] chairperson also directed the operation should be across the board and no concession whatsoever would be given to anyone in this regard.”
He was quoted as saying that CDA is setting up pickets in the area after getting the land’s possession.
The press release added CDA launched an operation on Supreme Court’s orders to get its land back from encroachers.
“In the first phase of the operation, CDA enforcement teams assisted by the ICT and police have gotten 1,000 kanals of the acquired land vacated in the areas of Chak Bera Singh, Jhoke Jheja and Lakhwal adjacent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Banni Gala,” said the official statement.
However, sources from the authority told The Express Tribune that CDA is reluctant to launch an operation against illegal occupants of Malpur, the area of an influential parliamentarian.
A piece of land in the village, where establishment of a new diplomatic enclave has been proposed, is still under encroachment, official sources said.
A senior official of the authority confirmed the land allotted to the new diplomatic enclave is being cultivated by the villagers.
He added that many foreign missions, operating in the residential areas,
have contacted CDA time
and again for the construction of the new diplomatic enclave.
The official revealed CDA officials abandoned their operation in the area under the influence of a parliamentarian belonging to Malpur.
The non-recovery of this tract of land makes the 300 acres recovered by CDA in Malpur, as claimed by CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, useless.
The said piece of land is part of the main area where construction of new diplomatic enclave is due and CDA has not chalked any strategy for its recovery.
Even though CDA has constituted a co-ordination committee in collaboration with Islamabad capital Territory Administration and police, it has not sought the help of either of the two departments to recover the land in Malpur, an official of ICT administration said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.
In a bid to avoid Supreme Court’s wrath and media criticism, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has started a futile operation to recover its encroached-upon land from influential parties.
A press statement issued on Monday from CDA Public Relations Directorate said, “[The] chairperson also directed the operation should be across the board and no concession whatsoever would be given to anyone in this regard.”
He was quoted as saying that CDA is setting up pickets in the area after getting the land’s possession.
The press release added CDA launched an operation on Supreme Court’s orders to get its land back from encroachers.
“In the first phase of the operation, CDA enforcement teams assisted by the ICT and police have gotten 1,000 kanals of the acquired land vacated in the areas of Chak Bera Singh, Jhoke Jheja and Lakhwal adjacent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Banni Gala,” said the official statement.
However, sources from the authority told The Express Tribune that CDA is reluctant to launch an operation against illegal occupants of Malpur, the area of an influential parliamentarian.
A piece of land in the village, where establishment of a new diplomatic enclave has been proposed, is still under encroachment, official sources said.
A senior official of the authority confirmed the land allotted to the new diplomatic enclave is being cultivated by the villagers.
He added that many foreign missions, operating in the residential areas,
have contacted CDA time
and again for the construction of the new diplomatic enclave.
The official revealed CDA officials abandoned their operation in the area under the influence of a parliamentarian belonging to Malpur.
The non-recovery of this tract of land makes the 300 acres recovered by CDA in Malpur, as claimed by CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, useless.
The said piece of land is part of the main area where construction of new diplomatic enclave is due and CDA has not chalked any strategy for its recovery.
Even though CDA has constituted a co-ordination committee in collaboration with Islamabad capital Territory Administration and police, it has not sought the help of either of the two departments to recover the land in Malpur, an official of ICT administration said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.