Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to remove the office of the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) Headquarters from the green belt in Sector F-8, immediately after
Eid ul Fitr.

The decision was taken under an ongoing campaign against the non-conforming use of offices in residential areas for commercial activities following the orders of the apex court.

The ITP headquarters was built temporarily in 2005 at the green belt in Sector F-8 that has not only come under encroachment but it was also close to the residential area.

Since then no significant efforts were made to permanently shift the department.

When contacted the Director Building Control Section (BCS) of the CDA, Shafi Marawat said the authority had written several times to the police department but no step was taken by the ITP to shift its office away from the residential area.

The CDA would send reminders to the ITP headquarters in this regard and after Eidul Fitr steps would be taken to shift this office.

The Authority doesn’t want to vacate the places from government offices forcibly but the compliance of the apex court orders would be made in letter and spirit, he added.

He said the prime minister’s office had given green signals to shift government offices from residential areas.

He admitted that the ITP office had made encroachments at the green belt since its inception and it also came under the orders of the apex court against non-conforming use of residential areas for commercial activities.

Besides the ITP headquarters, a number of police offices comprising one or two rooms are constructed on the green belts, he said, however, saying that these structures were on temporary basis.

The police spokesman admitted that the steps were being taken to shift the ITP headquarters temporarily from the green belt after Eid.

He, however, said no place had been finalised for this purpose so far.

The Islamabad Police was working on a PC-1 for the construction of a permanent building of the ITP headquarters, he said, adding, the department had land available close to the H-11 Police Line but the ITP department was demanding to identify a land that was easy accessible to the citizens.

It may be mentioned hear that the top court on Tuesday ordered the Capital Development Authority to seal all the government offices working in residential areas of the federal capital, except the offices of SAARC and the Federal Ombudsperson for protection against harassment at the workplace.

As many as 350 schools, 13 guest houses and several government offices are still operating in residential areas.