September 19, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 06, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: A ruling party MNA, who obviously has arms longer than the arm of the law, has turned four acres of state land into the lawn of his 10-marla house in Sector F-7/4.

“This shows that our legislators are more apt at making an ass of a law than at making laws,” was the caustic comment of his neighbours on his action which rests on the permission given to him by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to develop the four acres into a community park.

But by enclosing the area by a wall on three sides — on the fourth side runs an impassable nullah — the MNA from Mandi Bahauddin is alleged to have robbed the residents of Street 52 of the sector and the French Colony katchi abadi of their freedom of movement.

Only a 10-foot wide passage has been left open but for his own purposes as his house was closed to Street 52.

According to real estate dealer Amir Latif, the land he has encroached is valued at Rs1.5 billion. The CDA turns a deaf ear to all complaints about the land grabbing and the discomfort it is causing to other residents.

A source in the CDA admitted to Dawn that irrespective of the permission given to him “to landscape” the open area, the legislator violated CDA laws by enclosing the area and putting structures there.

This correspondent found on visiting the site that the MNA has done the landscaping by felling the trees on the land and planting bamboo on its periphery. Building material and rubble has been heaped at the point where it touches Street 52, except for a small opening.

What is more alarming is that the MNA’s highhandedness has encouraged a few others living on Street 52 to grab state land for their own green pastures.

Residents not touched by the contagion so far feel that since the CDA look unconcerned, the Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of “the illegality”.

“It is strange that the government and Islamabad authorities denounced the administration of Lal Masjid for illegally occupying state land and the Children’s Library, but pay no heed when a ruling party MNA does the same,” fumed a resident who did not wish to be identified.

A source in the CDA said several notices were served on the MNA for violating the approved site plan of his house. But CDA’s top bureaucrats took no action against him.

When contacted for comments Muhammad Sarfaraz, manager of the MNA’s office in his constituency Mandi Bahauddin, said the MNA was outside the country and he could not comment on the issue.

He said personal secretary of the MNA, Mushtaq Ahmed, could give details about the controversial land. But Mr Ahmed shut his cell phone few seconds after receiving the call and it remained closed till late night.

A close relative of the MNA supervising the construction of his house, however, said the MNA had no intention to encroach the open land. It might be used as an open lawn though.

Asked why passage through “the open lawn” was denied to the katchi abadi residents, the relative said it was closed “due to illegal activities of the slum dwellers”.

According to the relative the MNA got the plot of his house in open auction for Rs20 million and gave the CDA Rs25 million for constructing a retaining wall on the bank of the Nullah.

He denied servant quarters had been built on the encroached land. “We have constructed only two small rooms for the labourers building the house of the MNA,” he said.

When approached, the CDA’s director planning Sarwar Sindhu denied that the MNA had given Rs25 million to CDA for constructing a retaining wall on the Nullah. “It is against CDA’s policy. It was done by the MNA himself,” he said.

The official said the MNA had never been allowed to fence the state land, except for building a retaining wall along the Nullah.

About the closing of way of katchi abadi he said it was done on the complaints of the residents of the area. “We have left one passage open for katchi abadi from the main road in front of Jinnah Super Market,” he said.