ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided not to go ahead with its planned operation against encroachments in the markets due to the prevailing security situation in the city.Earlier, the enforcement directorate of the civic authority had finalised a strategy to remove the encroachments from different business centres (Marakiz). The CDA had asked the deputy director general enforcement, Asia Gul, to take steps to implement the strategy.

Consequently, Ms Gul last week warned that action would be taken against encroachers and those who had set up stalls in the verandas of the markets.

The enforcement directorate had also claimed that banners had been displayed in different markets warning the encroachers to voluntarily remove their stalls. However, the banners were only seen in F-10 Markaz and F-11 Markaz.

When asked, the officials concerned said the banners had only been placed in the two markets because the operation was initiated from one end of the city.

“We cannot enforce the directives in the whole city at once and it will be implemented from one side and will move towards Aabpara which has the highest number of encroachments,” said Mohammad Iqbal, the deputy director enforcement.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the civic body said the announced operation against encroachments was facing resistance from the shop owners themselves as they collected rent for the fixed or movable encroachments.

“The monthly rent from the stalls, carts etc., in front of the shops ranges from Rs15,000 to Rs50,000 depending on the size and location,” the official added.

“Besides, many people have extended their own shops, blocking the corridors and thoroughfares.”

However, traders and the CDA officials agreed on the point that encroachments were an eyesore and created problems for the visitors.

Kamran Abbasi, the president of the Islamabad Small Chamber of Commerce and Industry, alleged that the CDA staff sabotaged all anti-encroachment operations.

“I have repeatedly told the CDA top management that their staff is not serious. Whenever there is any move to clear the encroachments, they create such a scene that it disrupts the whole operation,” said Ajmal Baloch, the organising secretary of the traders’ action committee.

He said there were three types of encroachments. First, the sellers sitting on footpaths and they have been placed there by the CDA. The second are the ones in front of shops who pay money to the shopkeepers and the third are extensions by the shopkeepers themselves.

“So if the first one is cleared and action is taken against the second category, there will not be any extension by the shopkeepers,” Mr Baloch added.

“The only serious move to remove encroachers was made during the Musharraf era but now there is a new officer heading the enforcement department and I am sure she sits in her office and is unaware of the ground realities.”

Published in Dawn, September 23rd , 2014