File photo of Pakistan Army. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Capital Development Authority has taken a bold stand against the “unjust demand” of a sensitive organisation — by sitting down and passing the buck.
The Planning Wing of the Capital Development Authority is working on the realignment of a portion of under-construction Kashmir Highway to avoid tearing down “sensitive” installations, which were themselves set up on an area marked for the road in the capital’s master plan.
Approval for realigning section-III of Kashmir Highway was accorded by former CDA chairman Nadeem Hassan Asif and sent the case to planning wing for action.
The decision was made following a meeting of the former chairman with representatives of a sensitive organisation where the latter informed that presence of some sensitive installations inside the army depot made it difficult to remove the depot.
Section-III of the Kashmir Highway involves the construction of six more lanes on the existing four-lane road between Golra Mor and GT Road.
City managers, afraid of being accused of using two wrongs to make something right, are now asking the federal government to weigh in.
“Only the federal cabinet is entitled to approve changes to the master plan, provided that the CDA suggests so on solid ground,” said a senior Planning Wing official.
The officer, who is privy to the development, said he recently visited the depot and was unable to find any “sensitive installments”, as was claimed, but did see a multi-story residential building and a residential colony, both developed in violation of rules.
The depot overlaps sectors H-13 and H-14. The master plan does not permit construction of residential units in either sector.
“One can easily see the recently-constructed flats and residential colony within the fortified depot. To give an access to inhabitants of these flats, the management of the depot is in process of building two gigantic gates along the boundary wall,” he said.
“Documents say that in 2004, the Pakistan Army had given a commitment that they would remove the depot from the existing site after the allotment of land for the establishment of the new General Headquarters (GHQ) building,” the official said.
He said though land in sectors E-10, D-12 and some adjoining green area was allotted to the army for establishment of GHQ in Islamabad, but later they did not fulfill their commitment.
It is worth noting that after allotment of precious land in Islamabad, the army dropped the idea of shifting GHQ from Rawalpindi to Islamabad. “Despite the allotment of land, neither did they build the new GHQ, nor did they remove the depot from Kashmir Highway,” the official added.
A senior official wishing not to be named said the Departmental Audit Committee also raised objections over the issue. “Prior to discussing the issue in the committee, the CDA Estate member was asked to furnish the land record, but she refused and claimed the record was missing,” the official revealed.
The DAC will soon decide if the case can be sent to the Public Accounts Committee, the official added.
CDA Planning and Design Member Waseem Ahmed Khan said he did not have enough details about the project. “I just know there are issues related to the original alignment of section-III of Kashmir Highway. I am unaware if the realignment involves a violation of the master plan,” Khan said, adding the CDA would not go for an arrangement that involves a master plan violation.
The head of the ISPR, Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said the issue is not in his knowledge, while ISPR Public Relations Director Brigadier Attiqueur Rehman did not attend several calls.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ