SINCE the Ayub Khan era, every military and civilian government has been openly flouting Islamabad’s master plan. With a superficial thinking and without going into merits of why Islamabad was planned a green and serene city in the name of development and turning a ‘dead city’ into a vibrant spot, the capital has fast become a slump.Instead of appointing competent and capable people with town planning/architecture background, the government also appointed people on political considerations, adding more to existing mayhem.

Visit any residential sector, be it E, F,G, H or I, one can just walk around and see open violations of CDA by-laws, filth and junk in markets, clogged road drains and stinking smell emitting from natural water courses.

With kutchi abadis on the rise, courtesy the CDA staff, chaos on roads is nothing but a headache. While the capital police seem least bothered about the situation, the Zero Point interchange has further compounded matters.

The patch of road between Faisal underpass (another feather in the CDA’s cap) and the Zero Point interchange is the most hazardous as two diversions exist on the right side and one on the left going towards G-7. This situation is continuing for the last three to four years.

Now it has been revealed that work on this project was totally stopped six months ago as the CDA has started work on an emergency basis to construct Margalla Avenue going towards E-11, E-12 to accommodate influential investors.

This patch of road is not only troublesome for all kinds of traffic but those who travel by public transport suffer more. The road leading towards H-8 graveyard, Shifa International Hospital and numerous others schools, institutions are a shambles, yet the CDA cares the least.

There was a time when in hot weather one would turn left from Faizabad and entering Islamabad would feel a temperature drop and pleasant surroundings. All this is done with due to selfishness and greed of opportunists sitting at the top.

MUBARAK ELAHI     Islamabad