Allottees await Sector D-12’s development

ISLAMABAD: More than 5,000 people are waiting for Sector D-12 to be developed before they can begin building their houses.

“We cannot build our homes because there is no water, electricity or gas [in the sector]. It is the responsibility of the [Capital Development Authority] to provide these facilities to us,” Nasir Mehmood, an allottee, told The Express Tribune on Sunday. He took possession of his land this year on January 4 this year along with other allottees, after waiting for almost 21 years. Sector D-12 was launched by the prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1988 to provide residential plots to people belonging to middle and lower-middle classes.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani recently distributed the possession letters. Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) cited various reasons for the delay. “[We are facing] various problems, which include getting the land vacated from squatters, shortage of development funds and inadequate planning,” said Ramzan Sajid, the CDA spokesperson. Efforts by the authority to take control of Sector D-12 had also met with heavy resistance.

One person was shot dead in 1996 when CDA started a land recovery operation, a senior official recalled. “The authority has never made any serious effort since then to evict encroachers from the land,” he added. Another senior CDA official, said the allottees had already paid their dues. “Although CDA has received the required fees and dues, they have been unable to facilitate the allottees,” he added. CDA’s official stance remains that the land will be ready for the allottees soon. “The company that has been given the contract for development work, M/s. Muhammad Ayub & Brothers, has been told to complete work in the sector as quickly as possible,” the official said.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 24th, 2010.