CDA, ICT retrieve 15,000 kanals of land

Illegal buildings demolished on along Kashmir Highway

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration have retrieved around 15,000 kanals of land from illegal occupants in the federal capital worth Rs357 billion during the on-going anti-encroachment operations in the city.

This was disclosed by the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat who told APP that land had been retrieved in Bari Imam and Tarnol areas along the Korang Nullah, the Kashmir Highway and the Islamabad Expressway.

Noting that encroachment here had been present for years, he reaffirmed that their anti-encroachment drive will continue unabated.



In a four-day operation in Tarnol, Shafqaat said that they had retrieved over 1,000 kanals land from encroachers. Similarly, many illegal structures built on state land in Doori Bagh and Dhoke Taile in the vicinity of Bari Imam were demolished. The DC said that the staff of CDA’s environment wing and the Machine Pool Organisation (MPO) Directorate also participated in the operation.

CDA's Director Enforcement said that the authority had issued notices to land grabbers before starting the operation and now advertisements were being published in newspapers to warn encroachers.



Right-of-way on Kashmir Highway

Meanwhile, the CDA and the ICT administration conducted an operation against the illegal encroachment and constructions on the right-of-way of Kashmir Highway on Thursday.

During the operation, several illegal constructions including service stations, rooms, hotels, kitchens, shops, sheds and boundary walls constructed on the right-of-way and state land were demolished. The operation was started from Jangle Hotel and proceeded onwards.

During the joint operation, five illegal rooms of Jungle Hotel along with a veranda, washrooms, service station and kitchen were demolished using heavy machinery.  

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2018.