CDA seemingly cares less for retrieving land in Sector H-8

Civic authority choose to ignore motions from its own officials over improper use of plots, encroachment

ISLAMABAD: The top civic body of the capital, it seems, is unconcerned about the unintended use of precious land in the capital and encroachment of institutional plots as it fails to take on some powerful land-use-rules violators in Sector H-8. This has been going on despite urging from some within the body. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allotted plots in Sector H-8 on feasibility basis for a specific use such as social welfare, religious education, social congregations and provision of health services. However, it emerged that the allottees of some of these plots had allowed the non-conforming use of these properties by allowing commercial establishments to operate on them.

Some institutional plots were also being encroached upon by owners of adjacent plots. CDA documents show that a total of nine plots in the sector are being used in violation of the original allotment while five planned institutional plots are being encroached upon by owners of adjacent plots. These plots in Sector H-8 had been allotted on feasibility bases and any other use of these plots comes under non-conforming use, according to their respective allotment letters and the Islamabad Land Disposal Regulations (ILDR). The plot 21 in Sector H-8 had been allotted for Darul Shifa, while plot number 25 was allotted for Idara Taleemul Quran. However, both plots are being used by a private school. Similarly, plot 24 was allotted for the ELIA School but is currently being used by a private university. Plot 66 in H-8/4 had been allotted for the Ambrose Hall School but is

currently being used by a private school. Moreover, plot 67 was allotted for Sindh Peoples Welfare Trust, it is being used by a university.  Plot 72 was allotted to Qari Khalilur Rehman for teaching Quran but is being used by a university. Plot 75 was originally allotted to NCB but is currently being used for other purposes. Another plot, 76, was originally allotted to the Zain Zia Academy but is currently being

used as a parking lot for the Shifa International Hospital.  Plot 79 was allotted to the Shifa International Hospital, but a medical college has also been established on said plot. Moreover, plot 20 in Sector H-8/1 is partially encroached by private schools for use as a playground while the remaining portion is used as a parking lot for a nearby private university. Another private school is using plot 85 and other vacant lands in Sector H-8/1 as school parking. Plots 95, 97 and 79 in Sector H-8/1 and H-8/4 have been encroached by a contractor, a private school and a hospital respectively. In March this year, CDA’s Directorate of Urban Planning had prepared a list of violators and pleaded the CDA’s Estate Management Directorate and Building Control Section (BCS) to take action against those who

were violating the terms and conditions mentioned for the allotment letters.  But five months later, CDA’s concerned directors are still reluctant to take action against influential violators. Moreover, CDA’s Urban Planning director had approached the Enforcement Directorate a month ago, hoping to spark some action against encroachments on CDA’s plots for institutions and special buildings in Sector H-8. However, neither the CDA’s Directorate for Enforcement nor the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) or the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) did not take any action against the unauthorised, non- conforming uses of institutions and special buildings or against encroachers for recovery of necessary fees for the period they have used CDA land.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2018.