Pakistan

‘Construction of new GHQ underway’

Pakistan Army has begun construction on a new complex for its General Headquarters (GHQ) in Islamabad.

Peer Muhammad April 05, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Army has begun construction on a new complex for its General Headquarters (GHQ) in Islamabad, despite the army chief’s earlier comment that the army will delay construction due to the financial crunch.

Responding to questions on Monday, senior Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Environment that the construction had partially begun on the site that the army had acquired from the CDA.

Officials said that the CDA has allocated 726 acres of land in sectors E-10 and D-11 and 50 acres in these sectors’ catchment area. They said that the CDA has so far received Rs504 million from GHQ out of a total of Rs703.69 million, and the last payment came through a year ago.

Meanwhile, committee members expressed concern over environmental degradation in the area which had been allocated for the National Park and directed that illegal and unplanned construction be stopped immediately.

Committee chairperson MNA Raja Asad suggested that there should be legislation to check illegal and unplanned construction in Islamabad to protect the city’s beauty.

CDA Director-General Urban Planning Sarwar Sindhu agreed that there is a need to develop a regulatory mechanism. He said that illegal and informal construction was rampant in areas that fell under the administration of Islamabad Capital Territory.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (5)

BP | 12 years ago | Reply Mil bases in plain sight and with civ traffic streams running at their edges and civilians living and in/e-gressing continuously could, and I'm afraid will, lead to more PNS Mehran-inspired attacks on them. The GHQ has been attacked before, so it is logical and imperative for the security concerns for the citizens of Rawalpindi as well as for the base itself that it be shifted away from a major population centre. So should be all the other bases. I know that's a major financial bleed but need's must. That, or the military machine could get proactive against the militants and attack them on their home turf rather than having them come in and wipe out for example half our naval AE&C and ASh assets in one op. Or in the GHQ's case, all our generals, which isn't necessarily a bad thing either!

Vortex Flow | 12 years ago | Reply Threats have changed in nature and in tactics, we need new Head Quarter, for security reasons. We need new base far from populated aeras for securities reasons also. We need to rethink our defence policies. But don't forget, we are weak nation, because Pakistani Nation is not a hard and honest working nation. We are best in cheating (exams, tax...), stealing (electricity, land from poor neigbhours,..) and what not... What we did for wellness in Pakistan during the last 60 years ? Nothing !