ISLAMABAD, July 11: Without settling the issue of land acquisition the Capital Development Authority (CDA), has initiated the development of sector D-12, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

The new sector was being developed on the land, where two villages Siri Saral and Pind Sangrial were presently located. There are 2,000 houses, which has not been removed by the CDA.

The foundation stone laying ceremony of sector D-12 will be held on July 16. The villagers have refused to vacate the land unless they are allotted plots at an alternative place or given compensation amount.

“We can die for our rights and will resist forcefully if the CDA tries to throw us out from our land,” an affected resident of Siri Saral, Malik Abdul Rehman said at the CDA office.

A six-member delegation of villagers held a meeting with the CDA chairman Mir Laiq Shah and other senior officials on the issue. The members of the delegation were: Malik Abdul Rehman, Sajjad Shah, Malik Allah Bakhsh, Malik Bashir, Haji Razzaq and Sardar Khan.

A member of the delegation said some of the villagers have been given alternative land in sector I-14. However, majority of them were still waiting for the compensation.

The meeting was informed that 2,000 kanals of land in sector D-12 was under dispute.

About 12 villagers, who own over 100 kanals each in Siri Saral are demanding that they should be given agro plots in compensation.