Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The illegal construction in right bank of the Kashmir Highway is continue from Golara Morr to the traffic signal of sector G-11; whereas a large number of commercial activities are also being facilitated by black sheep of civic body by allowing these illegal structures a direct access from main Highway.

In papers, Capital Development Authority (CDA) has acquired the land for sector G-12 back in 1985, however, the locals refused to give possession as they found the compensation money 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.

In past, the reluctance of the CDA officials had allowed the public to raise massive structure in said area; whereas the aerial view of the locality clearly shows that the area is more populated then developed sectors. Although, the CDA declares that the construction is illegal, but failed to curtail the construction on site.

Presently, after the rehabilitation and up-gradation of Kashmir Highway, the construction work of marriage halls, multi-storey plazas, shops, and houses are in full swing alongside the Highway as the land mafia is taking full advantage of the past history of sector G-12 and the reluctance of CDA and ICTA to undertake action in the sector.

The civic body installed a fence alongside the Kashmir Highway to restrict any direct access of the land grabbers and encroachers on the main road, but now these people, in connivance of black sheep of the CDA cut that fence on several points and build direct accesses on the main Kashmir Highway.

For instance, an Educational Institute, 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 ‘Kaltoor 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.

Besides, illegal construction on un-acquired land, the property mafia encroached the 400 feet wide right bank of Kashmir Highway, which is a state property. The CDA had paid its price to the land owners, but now silent on encroachment.

The Director Enforcement CDA Taj Warsi while talking to the Daily Times accepted that the area is now a commercial strip alongside the Kashmir Highway due to negligence. “We have conducted a number of operations in the area to restrict illegal construction, but failed to curtail due to court interventions and lack of cooperation from district administration”, he admitted.

However, the concerned Additional Director Muhammad Ramzan told this scribe; “we wrote a letter to the Director General Environment and Director Sector Development to protect the land by installing proper burgees and erecting barbered wire around the acquired land of the CDA in Right of the Way of Kashmir Highway as the Land Directorate has already marked the acquired area.”

While talking to Daily Time the Director General Environment Suleman has responded; “the protection of land or installing the fence is not the responsibility of environment wing, but we are only entitled of landscaping, beatification and tree plantation”. “The concerned function of the environment wing has also devolved to the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation and enforcement directorate should communicate accordingly”, he maintained.