Overactive activists: Thrashed for doing their duty
PPP’s Butt apologises to CDA employees ‘kidnapped’ for removing illegal banners.
“They first thrashed us and then took us to some unidentified location. We were released following the intervention of CDA high-ups and Butt,” says a member of the anti-encroachment staff. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has withdrawn an application for registering an FIR against workers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) who allegedly beat up and abducted some employees of CDA’s anti-encroachment wing for removing their candidate’s banners and streamers from Sector G-9.
“The PPP activists nominated in the application have been pardoned by the DMA team, following which the application for FIR was withdrawn,” said Municipal Administration Director Hamza Shafqat. Sources said PPP candidate from NA-48 Faisal Sakhi Butt and Islamabad PPP President Babar Minhas visited the injured CDA employees at home and expressed their regret over the incident.
On Thursday, when the anti-encroachment staff tried to remove PPP candidates’ banners and streamers hanging from traffic signals in Sector G-9, PPP activists affiliated with Butt attacked the employees. The anti-encroachment operation was in progress in connection with CDA’s ongoing “Clean and Green Islamabad” campaign.
“They first thrashed us and then took us to some unidentified location. We were released following the intervention of CDA high-ups and Butt,” said a member of the anti-encroachment staff who was part of the team. He requested his name be withheld.
“CDA is not a political party. It’s not our job to fight with political workers. We were carrying out an operation against violators of Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) by-laws,” said CDA Member Administration Munir Chaudhry when asked about the withdrawal of the complaint against the accused.
When Butt learnt about the episode, he rushed to the homes of the employees and apologised on behalf of his party workers and assured CDA employees of his cooperation in implementing the ECP’s code of conduct for advertisements, said a close aide of the candidate.
Media briefing
On Friday, Municipal Administration Director Shafqat during a media briefing said that during the past three weeks CDA had removed 10,500 illegal banners and streamers put up across the city. CDA charges Rs60 per week for a streamer and Rs100 per week for a banner.
The member Administration said CDA was in contact with ECP officials and has been submitting a weekly report to ECP over issues relating to general elections. The civic agency is in the process of formulating a uniform policy to rent out billboards and hoardings along major thoroughfares of the city. “The process will be streamlined after abolishing the practice of discretionary powers.” CDA is earning around Rs60 million per annum by renting out advertisement sites. Revenue may be enhanced to Rs300 million after the new policy is implemented, he added.
He said advertisers with valid licences for billboards and hoardings owe CDA Rs120 million. “CDA has served notices for the recovery of the outstanding amount to defaulters, while 18 illegally installed hoardings have also been removed.” CDA was compiling a detailed report on the number of legal and illegal billboards across the city to restructure the advertising policy and increase revenue, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2013.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has withdrawn an application for registering an FIR against workers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) who allegedly beat up and abducted some employees of CDA’s anti-encroachment wing for removing their candidate’s banners and streamers from Sector G-9.
“The PPP activists nominated in the application have been pardoned by the DMA team, following which the application for FIR was withdrawn,” said Municipal Administration Director Hamza Shafqat. Sources said PPP candidate from NA-48 Faisal Sakhi Butt and Islamabad PPP President Babar Minhas visited the injured CDA employees at home and expressed their regret over the incident.
On Thursday, when the anti-encroachment staff tried to remove PPP candidates’ banners and streamers hanging from traffic signals in Sector G-9, PPP activists affiliated with Butt attacked the employees. The anti-encroachment operation was in progress in connection with CDA’s ongoing “Clean and Green Islamabad” campaign.
“They first thrashed us and then took us to some unidentified location. We were released following the intervention of CDA high-ups and Butt,” said a member of the anti-encroachment staff who was part of the team. He requested his name be withheld.
“CDA is not a political party. It’s not our job to fight with political workers. We were carrying out an operation against violators of Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) by-laws,” said CDA Member Administration Munir Chaudhry when asked about the withdrawal of the complaint against the accused.
When Butt learnt about the episode, he rushed to the homes of the employees and apologised on behalf of his party workers and assured CDA employees of his cooperation in implementing the ECP’s code of conduct for advertisements, said a close aide of the candidate.
Media briefing
On Friday, Municipal Administration Director Shafqat during a media briefing said that during the past three weeks CDA had removed 10,500 illegal banners and streamers put up across the city. CDA charges Rs60 per week for a streamer and Rs100 per week for a banner.
The member Administration said CDA was in contact with ECP officials and has been submitting a weekly report to ECP over issues relating to general elections. The civic agency is in the process of formulating a uniform policy to rent out billboards and hoardings along major thoroughfares of the city. “The process will be streamlined after abolishing the practice of discretionary powers.” CDA is earning around Rs60 million per annum by renting out advertisement sites. Revenue may be enhanced to Rs300 million after the new policy is implemented, he added.
He said advertisers with valid licences for billboards and hoardings owe CDA Rs120 million. “CDA has served notices for the recovery of the outstanding amount to defaulters, while 18 illegally installed hoardings have also been removed.” CDA was compiling a detailed report on the number of legal and illegal billboards across the city to restructure the advertising policy and increase revenue, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2013.