Faizabad encroachment: CDA tears down illegal bus stands, again

During last six months teams have conducted numerous operations against illegally constructed sheds

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Enforcement Directorate demolished sheds erected by the owners of six bus stands on Thursday.

The CDA people brought excavators of the authority’s Machine Pool Organisation (MPO) to tear down the illegal structures.

The CDA enforcers, assisted by Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA), came with Islamabad police up to finish the job. According to CDA few miscreants also tried to stop the operation, however, it was completed.



During last six months the CDA enforcement teams have conducted many operations against illegal bus stands at Faizabad following the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directions, but soon after CDA enforcement teams end the job, the illegal bus stands re-emerge in the area.

Last week the CDA enforcement teams had also conducted a similar anti-encroachment operation against illegal bus stands and demolished Murree Hills, a bus stand set up illegally on a green belt, which is allegedly owned by a political personality of PML-N from Murree.

However, to demolish that bus stand on 17 kanals of encroached land, the enforcement staff had to call Rangers for backup besides police.

However, CDA sources told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, that CDA Director Municipal Authority (DMA) was allegedly lenient towards bus stands and was misleading the IHC about operation against illegal bus stands and green belts. According to official statement of CDA, the enforcement staff got the vehicles parked under the sheds removed before demolishing the illegal structures.



In the previous week, CDA enforcement teams had conducted anti-encroachment operation against illegal bus stands at Faizabad in the presence of district administration with backup of Rangers and Islamabad police.

Decision challenged

Meanwhile, the owners of the bus terminals serving Al-Makkah Coaches and Frontier Punjab Travels have already filed intra court appeal (ICA) against the decision of IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.

In September last year, IHC had directed the CDA and the Islamabad administration to remove all illegal bus stands and other encroachment from the green belts of the federal capital.

IHC’s Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had passed these directions in September 2017 while hearing a petition filed by Transport Owners and Passengers’ Welfare Association against illegal bus stands and other encroachment operating on green belts at Faizabad with permission from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2018.