ISLAMABAD: While the civic agency of Islamabad has failed to clear encroachments to develop new sectors, it carried out a swift operation to remove illegal settlements from a greenbelt after concerns raised by sensitive agencies.

The enforcement department of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Thursday cleared the greenbelt between H-10 and H-11 of encroachments after demolishing illegal structures.

An official of the CDA said the encroachers had established cattle pens on the greenbelt.

“Besides, there were chappar hotels and people were illegally doing commercial activities on the greenbelt.”

The greenbelt is located adjutant to the H-10 campus of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). A majority of the customers at the shanty restaurants consisted of students and visitors to the university.

The official said the operation was executed after a week-long monitoring of the area to avoid any backlash, protest or resistance either by the students or those operating the restaurants and the cattle pens.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the civic body told Dawn that the operation was conducted after concerns were shown by army officers serving in a sensitive installation.

“Nescom has an office at some distance from the place and the army officials were upset about people loitering within the visible distance of the installation,” the official said.

In April 2014, the CDA launched action against a katchi abadi, comprising around 1,500 mud houses, on the greenbelt between I-10 and H-10 which also faced the same installation.

Meanwhile, a CDA spokesman said it was a routine operation, adding the enforcement department had slowed down ‘possibly due to the rains and the severe cold weather.’

But the eagerness of the CDA to clear slums at some places was in sharp contrast to its performance in clearing the land that had already been acquired for the opening of new sectors.

“Many sectors, including I-11, D-12 and E-12, remained stalled for more than two decades because the encroachments could not be cleared. The situation remains the same in Kuri area where Park Enclave is being established,” said an official of the planning department.

Published in Dawn March 13th, 2015

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