CDA starts operation to get land vacated from illegal occupants

* Over 1,000 kanals of land in Chak Bera Singh, Jhoke Jheja and Lakhwal got vacated in first phase of operation

* Chairman says ICT administration, police fully cooperating in operation

ISLAMABAD: In the light of Supreme Court (DC) direction, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday launched an operation to get its land vacated from the illegal occupants in different areas of the federal capital with the help of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and police.

In the first phase of the operation, CDA Enforcement teams got vacated over 1,000 kanals of land, which was in adverse possession in the areas of Chak Bera Singh, Jhoke Jheja and Lakhwal, adjacent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Banni Gala. CDA acquired this land in 1960 and 1961 in the first phase of the acquisition for the Federal Capital. CDA Director General (Planning) Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu and Director Enforcement Muhammad Ramzan Joya led the operation.

CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi visited different areas where the operation to get possession of the land was in progress and directed the enforcement teams to get every inch of CDA land vacated from the adverse possession in the light of the SC decision.

He also directed that the operation should be across the board and no concession should be given to anyone in this regard. He said after getting the possession of land CDA would set up pickets in the area to avoid any such situation in future. He said SC was being kept informed about the progress in this connection.

He said ICT administration and police were fully cooperating with CDA in getting the CDA land back from the illegal occupants. He said a coordination committee, comprising representatives of ICT administration, police and CDA, was effectively monitoring the operation.

He said CDA teams faced resistance in the beginning, however, operation continued smoothly. He called upon the illegal occupants to immediately vacate the land, which was acquired by CDA. He said the adverse possession of land and subsequent ill-planned construction had damaged the beauty of the federal capital. He said the development in the city in a planned manner was the basic responsibility of the authority and CDA would start development activities after getting the CDA land vacated from the adverse possession.

The chairman said CDA in collaboration with the ICT administration and police had worked out a comprehensive strategy to get the acquired land vacated from the illegal occupants. He said the authority had given prior notices to all such occupants through national media to vacate CDA land in their possession in their own interest. The CDA chairman said he would appeal to the people who are in possession of CDA acquired land to extend cooperation and vacate the land to prevent any untoward incident by creating any confrontation with CDA teams, which are in the field to take the possession of the acquired land.