On boundary: Capital-Pindi land issue referred to federal cabinet

Master plan commission decides to hire consultants to conduct studies

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: The longstanding issue of ownership of some 2,500 acres of land straddling along the border of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has now apparently moved to the federal cabinet after being heard in the courts.

The land in question is located on the border between the federal capital and the garrison city and comprises the residential colonies and commercial area near Naseerabad Bokarh, Awan Town, British Homes, Postal Colony, and Chak Maddad.

The area also includes the national assembly constituency NA-61, Punjab assembly’s PP-15 and cantonment board wards. Moreover, the cantonment board collects building plans for construction in this area, property tax apart from maintaining street lights and the sewerage system here.

However, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) also lays claim to the area. The issue was pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) when the Supreme Court (SC), during a suo moto case, the Survey of Pakistan was directed to demarcate the boundaries of the federal capital and matter was then referred to the federal cabinet.

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After this, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has sent all relevant records to the competent authority about the boundary.

In the documents, RCB claimed that the area under discussion falls within its jurisdiction from which the board collects Rs500 million in revenue.

It further contended that according to the Survey of Pakistan report and maps from 1937, 1951 and 1981 show that this area fell within the limits of the RCB for which official notifications are present.

Sources said that since amendments to the CDA Ordinance 1960 are presented in the federal cabinet, hence it was the competent authority to decide this issue once and for all.

Meanwhile, when contacted, a CDA official told Daily Express on the condition of anonymity that the matter was sub-judice hence they could not offer any comment on the matter.

Master Plan commission

In a meeting of the Federal Commission on Islamabad’s Master Plan, the commission unanimously decided to hire consultants for formulating and studying the development of the master plan.

The commission met at the CDA headquarters on Thursday with CDA chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed in the chair.

The participants of the meeting deliberated over the vision statement of the commission. The statement is expected to be finalized in the next meeting of the commission.

The meeting unanimously agreed to hire a consultant for the formulation of and conducting studies for the development of the master plan.

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The studies will review essential services such as water supply, sewerage, electricity, existing built-up-properties and infrastructure, demographics, socio-economic and other areas of vital importance.

The meeting also decided that the terms of references (TORs) for the consulting firm will be evolved within three weeks so that an advertisement can be issued for the purpose. Moreover, the input of the Planning Commission will be invited to ensure transparency in the process.

With commission member, University of Engineering Technology (UET) Lahore Dean Dr Ghulam Abbas passing away recently, prayers were offered for him. It was unanimously decided that in his stead, a senior and eminent female urban planner or architect would be included in the commission after due approval from the federal government.

It was decided that after two weeks, the commission will start holding public hearings where people from different segments of society will be invited, including retired civil servants, retired CDA chairmen, residents of different sectors, residents of the federal capital’s slums, the media and students.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2019.