Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: After struggling more than a year to settle disputes over the actual number of built-up property (BUP) claims, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday announced an award to get possession of the land allocated for the King Hamad University of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences.

“The claims of a large number of blue eyed persons and frontmen of the higher ups of CDA have been included in the list. It will cost the civic body billions,” said an officer of CDA Planning Wing.

CDA was at loggerheads with locals over the actual number of claims. The city managers counted around 430 units in a tentative list. However, locals wanted get the compensation against around 700 claims.

Talking to Daily Times, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Qazi Sohaib said: “I have just announced the award of 782 BUPs. However, the final benefits will be decided by the Land Directorate of CDA as per the prevailing policies.”

He added that the award had been announced in a transparent manner in accordance with CDA rules. “We are following the rules. Reports of discrepancies are just rumours,” he said.

The civic body had acquired the land back in 1981 after paying the locals. However, it did not pay them against the BUP claims at the time. Due to this, the authority has so far failed to get possession of the land.

According to the CDA policy in this regard, any structure having a covered area of 300 square feet is entitled to an alternate plot against a BUP claim.

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in 2014 announced that he would fund a nursing university as a gift to the people of Pakistan. It was decided that the Pakistani government would arrange the land and utility services for the university and Bahrain would fund the university’s construction.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also laid down the foundation stone about a year ago. The university is planned to be constructed on 237 kanals along the Park Road in Chak Shahzad area.

However, it was quite embarrassing for the federal government when they found that the land allocated for the university was disputed. CDA did not have actual possession of the land.

Talking to Daily Times, a well-placed source inside the civic body said:”In 2008, CDA conducted a survey in the area and found that there were only 139 houses. However, when the government announced to establish a university on the land, the number went up to over 400.”

“Almost half of the claims are bogus in the list. This was done by subdividing the already available houses or havelis,” he added.

The said area came under the constituency of Capital Administration and Development Division State Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, whose relatives are among the affected people.

When contacted, Islamabad Mayor Shaikh Anser Aziz confirmed that the award had been announced.

“Most of the claims are genuine. They have been included in the list after due process. However, irregularities on a limited scale cannot be ruled out,” he said.

“We want to resolve the disputes amicably because a heavy amount in terms of foreign funding is directly linked with this project,” he said.

He said that the list was the outcome of a series of meetings and negotiations conducted. “The list is final and no further claims will be entertained,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, October 7^th 2017.