ISLAMABAD, June 2: Additional District Magistrate Malik Zafar Iqbal Awan has imposed ban on any kind of construction in 57 villages falling in Zone III and Zone IV of Islamabad district under Section 144, says a notification here on Wednesday.

According to the notification, the magistrate has banned any king of construction under Section 144 in eight villages of Zone III and 49 villages of Zone IV.

Giving the reasons for imposing the ban, the notification says, "mushroom construction in these villages is resulting in poisoning of Rawal Lake, the only source of water supply to Islamabad, law and order problems, haphazard growth of slums, environmental pollution, increase in crime ratio and obstacles in planning and administration of civic amenities in the federal capital.

Consequently, it has created great danger to the human life, health, safety and public tranquillity in the federal capital." The notification says construction up to two kanals out of 20 kanals shall be allowed subject to the issuance of a no objection certificate (NOC) by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Meanwhile, speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNAs Nayyar Bokhari and Fauzia Habib criticized the ban, terming it a violation of the fundamental rights of the people.

Mr Bokhari said this decision had created unrest among the people. He said this order was a violation of Article 24 of the constitution which provided right to an individual to use his property independently.

Similarly, he said the order was a violation of Section 12 of the CDA Ordinance and Local Government Ordinance. Mr Bokhari said the areas which had been mentioned in the notification fell in rural areas and not under the CDA. He was of the view that the CDA could not issue any order about the areas which had not been acquired by it.

The PPP MNA said how could the CDA stop any person from construction in the land which did not fall in its jurisdiction. Moreover, he said, this order had created a controversy whether or not the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance 2002 had been enforced.

He alleged that the bureaucracy had made this decision only to provide benefit to some housing schemes. He said the CDA had actually imposed a ban on an individual to sell his land.