CDA faces resistance in operation against private housing society

Islamabad :The enforcement teams of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) abandoned an operation against a private housing society following tough resistance put up by local and management of the society here on Monday.

As the enforcement team of the CDA led by Director Enforcement Taj Warsi started an operation against North Ridge housing society in Shah Alla Ditta area at foothills of Margalla, a large number of locals along with management and employees of the society reached the place stopped authority’s personnel from proceedings further.

The private land in the area where the CDA attempted to launch the operation is owned by deputy mayor Islamabad Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, Khalid Bhatti and Ibrar Khan who is close relative of Jamaat-e-Islamabad ameer Zubair Farooq Khan. “As to why the CDA attempted an operation on the private land which has not been acquired by the civic body,” a representative of the housing society said.

As soon as the enforcement personnel demolished a hut on the private land, the locals reached the spot along with the management.  The both sides indulged in exchange of harsh words.

In the meantime, the CDA officials sought support from the Islamabad administration and Islamabad Police. However, the CDA personnel could not enter the area due to resistance put by the locals.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Captain (r) Muhammad Shoaib reached the site, mediated betweent the two sides and cooled down the atmosphere before deterioration of law and order situation.

An official of CDA told ‘The News’ that they had planned the operation against the private housing scheme following orders from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said that any type of construction activity was not allowed in the area which falls in Zone-III of Islamabad as per CDA rules.

The officials, admitted that the Bara Kahu also falls in Zone-III of Islamabad and construction activity was going on rapidly in the area.

However, Zubair Farooq Khan said the CDA had given wrong statement before the apex court. He said the area did not fall reserved forests area as Islamabad Wildlife (Conservation, Protection, Preservation and Management) Ordinance, 1979. “Moreover, this is our private land and has not been acquired by Government,”  he said. It may be pointed out here that in the past also, the CDA enforcement had broken the approach road from sector D-12 lead to the housing scheme.