Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been failed to protect its 1200 square feet wide right of the way for Kashmir Highway alongside the disputed sector G-12 as a number of illegal direct accesses on main highway are being made by the local property mafia.

In papers, CDA has acquired said area back in 1985 to develop a sector G-12, however, the locals refused to give possession as they were considered the offered compensation insufficient. Since then, there is a bar on sale and purchase of land in the sector.

At present, many businessmen and property dealers are selling and purchasing the land in the sector. The sale and purchase is being done without any lawful transfer of title, allocation of a plot on the map and registry that is usually the norm in capital.

Instead of having a dispute between local inhabitants and civic body over acquisition of said area, it is a fact that 1200 square feet wide right of the way for Kashmir Highway is the property of civic body and it is properly acquired by CDA.

However, following a massive unplanned and un-authorized growth of residential units in the area originally planned to develop a sector in master plan, it has now become an attractive destination for investors to establish their commercial businesses on the right bank of Kashmir Highway from Golra Morr to the traffic signal of sector G-11.

They are free to construct commercial buildings without any building plan and also taking liberty to create direct accesses on main Kashmir Highway by breaking road fence installed after the recent widening of Kashmir Highway.

As for instance, an educational institute named the Islamabad Law Collage has not only pull out the fence, but also laid down a 20 feet wide concreted road from main Kashmir Highway to the collage gate.

A restaurant ‘Kantoor Tandoori’ and ‘Shinwari’ has also using direct access from the Highway, whereas two biggest wedding halls, several car showrooms, plazas and workshops are using direct access from the Highway as well.

Unfortunately, several directorates of CDA including enforcement directorate, roads directorate, and environment wing are shifting the burden to take action against illegal direct accesses on each other and none of them is willing to take action on this illegality.

The whole process is being facilitated by concerned officials of the authority, who claimed that they shared the ill-gotten money with the higher ups of the CDA.

It is quit essential to mention here that each planned sector has two direct accesses on main highway, but the disputed sector G-12 has over a dozen accesses.

The Member Planning and Design CDA Asad Mehboob Kiani while talking to Daily Times has said, “I am quite keen to stop this illegal construction and a number of instructions has already been issued while no illegal direct access on main Kashmir Highway would be allowed.”

“I have already written to district administration to impose section 144 to stop illegal construction whereas we will also enforce our bylaws across the city in litter and spirit”, he added.