Stop illegal housing projects around IIA, says interior minister

There should be no compensation for encroachment: Ijaz Shah

ISLAMABAD: The mushroom growth of illegal and unauthorised housing schemes around Islamabad International Airport (IIA) should be checked said Interior Minister Brig (retd) Ijaz Ahmad Shah on Monday.

“There should be no compensation for encroachment,” he said insisting on regulating the system of approving residential and commercial projects surrounding IIA.

He was chairing a meeting attended by representatives of Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) and Rawalpindi district administration and Aviation Division.

The meeting held at Interior Ministry discussed the increased number of commercial and residential projects in surroundings of IIA, resulting problems and their solutions.

Shah said that having developmental projects is progressive but there has to be a proper mechanism to execute the idea. "There should not be any compensation when it comes to countering the encroachment issue," he added.

The minister asked the administration to formulate proper rules and regulations for the developmental growth.

He further insisted on ensuring that the terms and conditions set by the administrative authorities are followed closely. "All stakeholders must ensure that no rules are violated," he said.

Representatives of Rawalpindi Development Authority and Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation briefed the minister over the progress of anti-encroachment drive and also highlighted the problems that they are facing.

They informed the minister that in order to keep track of the construction process around the airport and other areas, a software called GIS will be used that will improve the monitoring and efficiency of the process.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2019.