‘Qabza mafia’ keeps mocking CDA

Islamabad: Taking advantage of the lethargic attitude of the concerned departments in the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the ‘qabza mafia’ is continuing to challenge the Authority’s blatantly and with impunity. Unfortunately in collusion with the officials of the CDA!The latest such incidents took place in a ‘kachi abadi’ behind the ZTBL building in Sector G-7/1 last Friday (February 22, 2019) where one new illegal residential structure was added to a shanty settlement where any fresh constructions were completely banned by the CDA and the decision was supported by the court of law.The tactics used for adding this illegal residential structure were the same which are being used since such activities were started. Those who wanted to construct this structure, allegedly, reached an understanding with the officials of the CDA who were supposed to be monitoring the situation, immediately reporting and preventing such illegal constructions activities.The necessary construction material was quietly brought in small quantities and stored in nearby locations easily accessible when needed. On Friday, after sunset, when the CDA offices were closed for the week-end, more construction material was brought to the site and construction work was launched.By the morning on Saturday they had already dug up the foundations and by evening the walls were erected to full height. Being a holiday on Saturday there was no intervention from the CDA, whether it was inadvertent or deliberate is anybody’s guess.And by Sunday evening the roof was put in place and the basic structure of the house was completed! Some concerned citizens reported the matter to ‘The News’ and the same was taken up with the Enforcement Directorate of the CDA.The CDA team, according to the spokesman of the Authority, visited the site and stopped any further work on the structure.“Now we have requested for provision of required machinery for demolishing this illegal structure, which are likely to get Tuesday morning and then this illegal structure will be demolished,” the CDA spokesman said.On the question as to what would be the position if the owner of this illegal structure managed to get a ‘stay order’ from the court of law against demolition of this structure, the CDA spokesman said that in that case the demolition of this structure would not be possible.“In such an eventuality the Directorate of Law would approach the concerned court of law for vacation of the ‘stay order’ in case that was granted by that time and till the stay order is vacated the Authority would be helpless and cannot demolish this structure raised in violation of all rules and regulations,” the CDA spokesman told ‘The News’.Such a situation had been occurring quite frequently in the past and it was under the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan that such cases of ‘stay orders’ issued by the lower judiciary should be decided on urgent basis, enabling the CDA to enforce their writ in the municipal limits of the federal capital.The CDA spokesman hoped that they would be able to demolish this structure as quickly as possible, a step which will send out a message to all against any such steps in future. He also said that a departmental inquiry will be held to ascertain involvement/collusion of any official of the CDA behind this illegal and unlawful construction.“If proven, necessary action will be initiated against those who may be found involved in this incident,” the CDA spokesman said.

from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2U44MND