ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet will decide the fate of the unregulated E-11 sector in its meeting to be held on Wednesday (today).

In a summary, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) sought cabinet’s approval for the revocation of ordinances issued by former presidents Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq. 

Ayub Khan had granted exemption to the revenue estate of Golra, comprising E-11, E-12, F-12 and D-12, from land acquisition due to the Golra Shrine. Later, in the 80s, the then president Ziaul Haq through an ordinance confined the revenue estate to E-11 only.

Sources said due to un-acquired and exempted area, the CDA failed to enforce its bylaws in E-11 that resulted in the mushroom growth of unauthorised buildings. 

CDA seeks revocation of former president’s ordinances regarding Golra revenue estate

In its summary, the CDA sought revocation of both the ordinances to enforce its bylaws in the sector to bring it at a par with other sectors in Zone I.

The CDA prepared the summary after the recent urban flooding in E-11 that took the life of a woman and her child. 

“We want revocation of orders issued by the former two presidents to end confusion regarding E-11. Though we don’t want to acquire this sector, we will enforce all the bylaws there,” said a CDA officer.

In the summary, the CDA stated that it would take action not only against its own guilty officials but also against housing schemes. But rights of people living in the sector would be protected and the developers of schemes would be asked to bear the expenses of relocation of buildings which had been built on the right of way of nullahs as recent urban flooding was caused by narrowing down of a nullah from 40 feet to 18 feet.

After approval of the summary, the CDA will also get a hydrological and infrastructure study done on housing schemes and stand-alone high-rise apartment buildings at the cost of the sponsors of these projects.

The CDA officials said exemption of the sector from land acquisition created a number of urban problems like flooding, traffic hazard, narrowing down of drains and environmental issues.

In 2007, in its first layout plan of Medical Cooperative Housing Society, the width of the E-11 drain was 40 feet, but in the revised-as-built plan the width was reduced to 18ft and approved by CDA in 2012, despite strong opposition by the then deputy director concerned who mentioned all facts on case file.

He had also recommended that no street should be less than 40ft in this housing scheme. But the housing scheme carved out around 40 commercial and residential plots besides reducing the width of the nullah.

Sources said that on the direction of the CDA chairman, a three-member committee had already been formed which has been probing the case of the medical society which got approval of its layout plan in 2012, which was later cancelled in 2016.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2021