ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: The army is shifting its general headquarters (GHQ) from Rawalpindi to the federal capital as part of plan to enhance security for President Gen Pervez Musharraf, a source in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) told Dawn on Thursday.

The source said it was for the first time that the GHQ was being shifted to Islamabad since its establishment. The GHQ is being set up in E-11 sector which has already been acquired by the army for various installations.

The source said a delegation of the army called on CDA chairman Kamran Lashari on Thursday to discuss issues pertaining to the GHQ's establishment. The delegation asked the CDA chief to remove all hurdles being faced in the provision of land and infrastructure in the new sector like laying of sewage lines, water distribution system, roads and street lights.

The source said the army had started construction of the GHQ that might take at least one year to complete. Another source in the CDA said the authority was not concerned with the designing and construction of the GHQ as it was being done by the army. The work is being carried out by the army considering the sensitivity of the project, he added.

Various law-enforcement agencies have reportedly suggested the president to shift his residence from Rawalpindi to Islamabad because the VVIP route, which fell in the densely populated area of Jhanda Chichi, was not safe for his movement.

The source said in view of the recent attacks on the president and spate of terrorism, a new security department for the president and prime minister was being established.

The VVIP route was also creating problems for the commuters who had to wait for hours to let the president's convoy to pass. Meanwhile, a CDA source said the authority was facing problem in getting some land in E-11 sector vacated as the locals had refused to accept the compensation amount offered by the authority for their land.