ISLAMABAD: A Capital Development Authority (CDA) team began an anti-encroachment operation on Thursday by demolishing the walls of a CDA inquiry office in F-6/1.

The anti-encroachment team also removed small gates and other forms of encroachment by residents outside government housing.

Local residents protested the CDA action, accusing the authority of targeting the area, where there were small-scale encroachments, as an eye-wash.

They said in sectors such as G-6 and G-7, people – some of whom they said were associated with CDA unions – had built additional storeys in government houses.

The residents said that instead of taking action against such violations, CDA teams were time and again targeting the area near the National Press Club.

A resident who asked not to be named said an operation was conducted in the same place in May.

Instead of launching selective drives, he said, the CDA should carry out operations across the board to remove all kinds of encroachments in the capital.

Residents said the authority had ignored massive illegal construction on CDA land in G-6 and G-7, where houses had been illegally built on land attached to government housing by allottees.

CDA spokesperson Malik Saleem said there was no discrimination, and the authority had been carrying out operations to ensure an obstacle-free environment for citizens.

He said that according to the rules, no one was allowed to encroach on CDA land outside their homes.

When asked about the construction of additional storeys in government housing, Mr Saleem said action should also be taken against such violations.

He added: “Our priority is to remove those encroachments which have been creating hurdles for other citizens in the first phase, as no one has the right to develop a lawn outside of his house to restrict movement of others.”

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2018