APROPOS the editorial ‘Schools in wrong areas’ (July 23). The master plan of Islamabad by Greek architect-engineer and town planner Dr Constantinos A Doxiadis was for a well-planned city, which was divided into sectors, avenues, main roads, parks, and commercial centres, with separate areas earmarked for educational institutions and hospitals. Every sub-sector was a self-contained unit.

Later, the master plan was violated in connivance with property dealers. Residential plots were allowed to be divided, the construction of basements was permitted, built-up covered areas were enhanced, dispensaries were demolished, plots were converted into mega malls, and green belts were encroached upon.

The population residing in and frequenting theses sectors increased, putting pressure on the utility services and traffic. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has taken a bold step by sealing schools built on residential land in the area. The CDA should not give in to the unjust demands of protesters who are emotionally blackmailing the authority by advocating the cause of an inauthentic figure of 100,000 students attending private schools who would be affected on eviction.

The owners of these schools are involved in the lucrative venture of running schools in residential areas, and are worried about the loss to their businesses. This is the right time to take action in the absence of a political government. Otherwise, the CDA would be under a lot of political pressure by vested interests, as was apparent by the visits of political aspirants to the site of protests to gain support for their election campaigns.

M.K. Sufi
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2018