August 11, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-us-Sani 12, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Member National Assembly Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari and residents of Noorpur Shahan and adjoining villages have vowed to resist their possible expropriation by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

In a meeting on Sunday attended by 50 people, the MNA and the people of Noorpur Shahan, Narola and Nareel villages feared that a D-12 clash-like situation might erupt in the area, if the Authority pressed ahead with its plan.

They said the Authority had posted evacuation notices on the walls of their houses directing them to shift to some other place within 15 days.

The people of these villages said though the Authority had announced compensation in exchange for possession of their lands, they did not avail the offer, as they wanted to be the neighbour of Hazrat Bari Imam. “The CDA had agreed to our demand but later it changed its decision,” they added.

They said Noorpur Shahan had already been declared a model village but the CDA was trying to withdraw this decision on the pretext of security risk in the vicinity of prime minister secretariat due to presence of villages.

Bokhari said the land-affected people of Islamabad faced tough times whenever Pakistan Muslim League came into power. He said instead of providing due rights to the people of Noorpur Shahan, the Authority was bent upon occupying these villages by force, as it had done in Bani Gala and Siri Saral.

“We are ready for negotiations with the government to sort out the issue but the latter seems reluctant to come to the negotiating table,” he said.

He said the main objective behind extension of Bari Imam Shrine was to remove the locals from Noorpur Shahan. He said most of the members of the shrine committee were outsiders who did not know about the problems of the area.

The MNA urged the prime minister, Zafarullah Khan Jamali, to dissolve the committee and direct the CDA to resolve the issue peacefully.