RAWALPINDI: Following the settlement of a dispute over boundaries between the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA), RCB has said it will install pillars along its border with Islamabad.

RCB had sought the federal government’s help to resolve an issue relating to its boundary with Islamabad after residents living in the overlapping boundary area failed to pay tax to the civic body, causing an annual loss of millions of rupees.

Earlier this month, the federal cabinet approved changes to Islamabad’s master plan, allowing RCB to incorporate some portions of the federal capital into RCB jurisdiction.

According to an RCB spokesperson, the board was established in 1849 and its boundaries were clearly defined in 1957.

In contrast, he said, the CDA was established in 1960 and Islamabad’s boundaries were defined in 1963.

This, according to him, led to disputes along sectors G-13, G-14, H-13, H-15, I-12 and I-14, previously part of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board.

As a result of the dispute, the public faced various issues, he said.

As per the federal cabinet’s decision, the western region of H-13, from the railway line to GT Road and the area south of the railway line to GT Road, up to IJP Road, remains under the municipal authority of the RCB.

The remaining sectors will be excluded from the board’s municipal jurisdiction, he added.

The new boundaries will include areas adjacent to Golra Road, EME College, Chungi No 26 and the Motorway Chowk, among others.

On the other hand, residents who had land documents registered with Islamabad raised questions about the legality of their documents in the wake of the changes.

“What is the legal status of our land ownership,” said Muhammad Irfan, a resident of Golra Mor near Haji Camp.

Sajid Ali, another resident of the area, said that he had purchased a house in 2007 and the documents were registered with relevant authorities in Islamabad.

He said that the government should end the confusion at the earliest. Residents also raised questions about police stations’ jurisdiction following the changes.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the RCB said that tube wells and water supply systems were installed by the board in Haji Camp, British Homes and adjoining areas.

He said that due to the longstanding tussle between the two civic authorities, residents kept evading property tax payments. The issue is likely to be resolved now, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2025