ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan on Friday claimed that beauty of Islamabad was ruined during the last four years because of the incompetency of outgoing Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz.

Now the CDA will restore the capital’s beauty and within two months the residents will start realising the difference, he added.

Speaking at a hurriedly-called press conference at the Press Information Department (PID), Mr Awan said resignation of the mayor was a “blessing” for the residents of Islamabad as since its inception in 2016 the Metropolian Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) had failed to deliver, causing problems for residents. He said the MCI departments placed under the administrative control of the CDA have started performing to ease the life of the citizens.

Mr Awan, who is also the ruling party MNA from Islamabad, said the CDA has decided to launch short-term and long-term projects and under the city rehabilitation project worth Rs2 billion, roads in all the residential sectors will be re-carpeted and faulty streetlights fixed. Moreover, soft landscaping, sanitation and sewerage work would also be carried out. He said within two days after shifting of the MCI directorates to the CDA, people have started seeing repair and maintenance work on Islamabad Expressway.

Mr Awan said in the general elections 2018, people of Islamabad voted for the PTI as all the three seats were won by PTI candidates - Raja Khurram Nawaz, Asad Umar and he himself. He said for resolving water and sewerage issue, Water and Sewerage Agency (Wasa) will be set up in Islamabad. The CDA has been making efforts to start the Ghazi Barotha water project under which Islamabad and Rawalpindi will get 100mgd each. He said that city’s parks will also be improved .

Talking about the construction projects, he said work on PWD underpass and Korang bridge had already been started while in a few days work on Rawal Dam Interchange would also begin.

He said IJP Road was also going to be rehabilitated on modern lines, adding the CDA was finalising the design of 7th Avenue Interchange at the junction of Srinagar Avenue and 7th Avenue near Aabpara.

He also said Islamabad should be given a share under the National Finance Commission (NFC). It may be mentioned that Mayor Shiekh Anser before annnouncing resignation had proposed to the federal government to place the major wings of the MCI under the CDA’s contorl.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2020