ISLAMABAD, April 25: The defence ministry has decided to launch the new Islamabad airport project soon, a letter issued by the ministry shows. It said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had intimated that work on the project was likely to commence on the new site shortly.

The authority had already acquired over 3,000 acres of land at Pind Ranjha situated on Fateh Jang Road, about 30 kms from the existing Islamabad International Airport. It has told the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that unsystematic and unplanned growth of private housing societies' schemes in the vicinity of the new site airport was hindering the execution of the project.

"Such unplanned construction activities around the airport are against the National Airfield Clearance Policy and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Rules," the CAA asked the CDA.

When contacted, the CDA chairman, Kamran Lashari, said he had told the CAA that the area mentioned by the CAA did not fall in the municipal limits of the CDA but some of the area of the new airport fell in the Islamabad Capital Territory and some in Rawalpindi.

He said the CDA had nothing to do with the queries made by the CAA regarding the illegal private housing schemes and unplanned construction. The CAA had requested the CDA to include the entire area of the New Islamabad International Airport in its municipal limits so that the basic civic amenities could be made available there and the menace of illegal construction could be controlled.

The CDA chief said the deputy commissioner, Islamabad, dealt with all issues regarding the private housing scheme and any other activity in the ICT area. Talking to Dawn, Deputy Commissioner Tariq Pirzada said he was unaware about the issue and the CAA had not contacted him so far for redressal of the problem.