ISLAMABAD:
Even the intervention of the highest court in the land could not stop continuing encroachments in Islamabad, and the practice continues without any resistance from those responsible to keep it in check.
Recent findings put forward by the audit authorities say that powerful private land developers are at the forefront in encroaching Capital Development Authority land in different areas of the city.
The worst-hit areas in terms of encroachments by private housing societies are Sector E-11 and Kuri Model Village.
A total of 1,800 kanals of CDA land, valued at roughly Rs4.6 billion, is under adverse possession of private land developers operating in these two areas, says the audit report recently released by the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Kuri Model Village
Kuri Model Village is located along Park Road in suburban Islamabad. The land was acquired by the CDA back in 1968. According to statistics provided by the CDA to the auditors, 1,342 kanals and 11 marlas in Kuri village were under adverse possession of a private land developer.
The statistics were compiled on the basis of satellite images provided by SUPARCO. The CDA estimates the value encroached land in the area as Rs2.3 billion.
The CDA Enforcement Wing had issued the most recent notice to the housing scheme to vacate the land on November 7, 2012. The notice gave the housing society seven days to vacate, but two years later, the situation is unchanged.
Sector E-11
According to the report, the CDA Housing Societies Directorate gave 2,605 kanals in the sector to several private land developers. Later, the developers encroached on 458 kanals of CDA land.
The CDA values the 458 kanals at Rs2.3 billion. But the authority has shown little interest in retrieving possession from the illegal occupants.
The CDA Enforcement Directorate is responsible for retrieving possession of encroached land. Its director general, Asia Gul, after pointing out that she had only recently been appointed, told The Express Tribune that several lower court decisions in favour of private land developers had barred the authority from taking action against violators. She also criticised the lacklustre response of other CDA departments, including the planning wing, when taking action against violators.
“It’s easy to shift responsibility on the enforcement directorate, but action against violators is impossible until there is active support from other departments,” Gul said.
She said the encroachments in Sector E-11 had recently come to her knowledge and a strategy to retrieve the land would be worked out ‘soon’.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2014.
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