ISLAMBAD: The federal cabinet was assured by the relevant officials on Tuesday that issues related to encroachments and unauthorised buildings on Margalla Road would be resolved within six months.

The cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, was briefed by officers from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and other organisations about the encroachments and plans for their removal.

The meeting was also informed that an underpass would be built near Shaheen Chowk on Margalla Road in collaboration with Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and the CDA to resolve traffic issues.

Sources said the CDA informed the cabinet that the contract for a marquee in E-9 had been cancelled while educational institutions in the area were directed to ensure that their students and staff parked their vehicles on the premises of the campuses and not on roadsides.

Defence ministry submits application to CDA for building plan approval

A press release issued by the federal government after the meeting said the Ministry of Defence and the CDA briefed the cabinet about the timeline regarding removal of encroachments from Margalla Road. The cabinet was informed that the defence ministry had submitted an application to the CDA for approval of the building plans of structures built on Margalla Road.

It said the contract of a marquee in E-9 had been revoked, adding that the security wall would be shifted to the approved sites in six months. The cabinet was informed that a wetland would be set up in three months for the cleanliness of nullahs passing through the area.

The cabinet was informed that construction of buildings would not be allowed on greenbelts .

The issue regarding encroachments on Margalla Road had been taken up in the federal cabinet several times this year. In August, the cabinet was told that not only Margalla Road but its service roads - North, South and East - had also been occupied in E-8 and many buildings in the sector were built without approval from the civic authority.

The cabinet was also informed that in E-9, service roads were also encroached and many buildings built in the sector without CDA’s approval.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved setting up of a special technology zone (STZ) in Shahzad Town for promotion of the IT industry. The STZ will be set up on a vacant land under the possession of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Sources in the CDA said the NIH had been allotted 600 acres decades ago and lease of the land expired years back. This means the land now belongs to the CDA, the sources said, adding that now the cabinet had approved setting up of the STZ on the land.

Last week, the CDA board also approved establishment of the STZ on the land along with a layout plan earmarking 41 plots where IT-related projects would be initiated.

The board members said currently there were 18 universities in Islamabad, producing software engineers and IT graduates. But there were only two IT parks - Evacuee Trust Complex Software Technology Park and KSL Software Technology Park in I-9. The board said the STZ would boost the construction industry with building projects worth billions of rupees besides promoting the IT sector.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020