ISLAMABAD, June 24: The interior ministry has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to allot two plots to the Saudi embassy for establishing educational institutions in the capital, a source in the CDA told Dawn on Tuesday.

The directives were issued by the ministry’s joint secretary, Malik Arshad, in a meeting with the CDA chairman, Mir Laiq Shah, on Monday at the CDA Headquarters.

The source said the embassy had demanded two plots, one for constructing a school and the other for setting up another educational institute called DAWA Academy.

However, the CDA had refused to allot the plots on different grounds which could not be ascertained. Later, the Saudi embassy sent a letter to the interior ministry.

When contacted, the director of the CDA’s estate management- I directorate, Hayyat Khan, said he was unaware of the issue. He said the issues of commercial property were dealt by the estate management-II.

The director estate management-II could not be contacted as he was on leave.

The joint secretary also discussed other pending cases, on which the CDA had not taken any action. He also took serious note of the delaying tactics adopted by the authority’s officials in allotting a plot to the British Council for setting up its new office. He also expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in the development of the two new sectors, D-12 and E-12.

The official was informed that the development of sector D- 12 would start from next month. An amount of Rs300 million has been allocated for the development of the sector.

Non-acquisition of land and lack of approval from the competent authorities are stated to be the main reasons for the delay in the development of both sectors.

Mr Arshad also asked the CDA officials to immediately upgrade all Kutcha Abadis located in the capital. He said the process of shifting Kutcha Abadis from the city area should also be done on emergency basis so that dwellers of these Abadis could have all basic civic amenities.