CDA abandons Park Enclave residents

Islamabad:The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has withdrawn security of the Park Enclave since beginning of this month (November), leaving the inhabitants at the mercy of thugs and thieves.

Park Enclave was the ‘Flagship Project’ of the CDA launched in 2011 and it was the first ‘Gated Community’ introduced by the authority with top of the line facilities promised, including electricity, gas, water and strategically placed security pickets for 24-hour security. Because of these facilities being offered in Park Enclave the cost of the plots measuring 500 yards (One Kanal) was set at Rs12 million. These plots were sold to the buyers through balloting system.

However, because of prolonged delays in development of ‘Park Enclave’ including construction of roads, marking of streets, laying of water and sewage lines, bringing in electricity and other certain basic necessities the buyers of plots in this ‘Flagship Project’ could not develop interest to start construction on their plots.

Eventually, the CDA started issuing warnings to the buyers to pay up their remaining instalments and start construction with a certain period of time, failing which they could face financial penalties and even cancellation of the allotments of their plots if they failed to pay up the cost and delayed construction beyond the deadline set by the CDA.

Now construction on around 200 plots has been completed and people have started living in their homes or are in various stages of construction. But the inhabitants of ‘Park Enclave’, who are still awaiting supply of gas and facility of PTCL or other private telecom service providers’ lines.

While these issues are yet to be resolved the inhabitants all of a sudden are facing two serious problems. The top most is that the CDA, from the start of the month of November 2023 have withdrawn security from whole of Park Enclave and the second is the persistent pressure from the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA), who are demanding access through Park Enclave by breaching a wall.

On the issue of letting PHA have access to the road, CDA is trying to prevent this attempt in the court of law and according to latest information the Authority has managed to get a stay order from the court of law against breaching the wall of Park Enclave and link to the main road.

But most serious is the withdrawal of security from this ‘Gated Community’. Immediately after people living in nearby villages and settlements came to know that the security has been withdrawn and there are no manning the barriers at the entrance, they simply stormed in, occupied the parks, riding bikes up and down on wide, empty avenues, causing unrest among the inhabitants of Park Enclave.

However, they got panicked when all of a sudden the incidents of theft and phone snatching occurred after evening since the security was withdrawn. Some people even stole a large chunk of copper wire from the electricity system, causing a two-day complete power shut-down recently.

It may be recalled that at the time of launch of this ‘Elite Project’ the facilities promised included 60 per cent of total area reserved for natural landscaping, gated community with Bio and Face Recognition Access at the central gate, 24x7 potable drinking water supply, Club House with swimming pool, squash, tennis and badminton courts and gym to mention just a few. None of these are available as yet with nothing seems to be coming up any sooner.

However, the inhabitants are most concerned about withdrawal of security and breach of wall to provide access to other societies and inhibitions through Park Enclave, which will negate the basic concept of this being a ‘Gated Community’.