ISLAMABAD: A vendor died of cardiac arrest minutes after confiscation of his pushcart by Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Zia Masjid area on Thursday.

Family members and other vendors said the CDA conducted an anti-encroachment operation in the area and confiscated several pushcarts, including that of Manzoor Ahmed, 65, belonging to Azad Kashmir.

The family members said Manzoor was not present on the site when the operation was conducted and his nephew Jalal was selling rice there.

Later, when other vendors called and informed him about the confiscation of his pushcart, he rushed to the area. By the time Manzoor reached the spot the CDA staff had loaded his cart into a truck.

After reaching the site, he suffered heart attack and fell down and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.

His nephew recorded a statement before the magistrate and stated that his uncle died of cardiac arrest and the family did not want to initiate legal proceedings.

Commenting on the CDA’s operation against pushcart holders, a source said officials of the civic agency during operation should keep in view poverty and social condition of people.

“Instead of targeting poor people, anti-encroachment drives should be focused against big-fish including housing schemes and business tycoons. One of the housing schemes has encroached upon hundreds of kanals of CDA land, but no action is taken against it. Land mafia even narrowed down Korang nullah after carving out plots. So action should be taken first against them,” he said.

When contacted, a CDA spokesperson expressed surprise and denied the death of any vendor. In his written reply, he claimed: “CDA is conducting anti encroachment drive across Islamabad in order to have clean, green, beautiful and developed the Federal Capital. No vendor died during its anti encroachment drive. Media is requested to kindly avoid speculations in this regard.”

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025