Interior ministry to probe CDA officials behind illegal dwellings

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the establishment of illegal slums in the city allegedly in connivance with the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the FIA had also been ordered, through a letter, to launch inquiries against other government officials who helped in the establishment of the illegal settlements.

The letter said that in connivance with the government officials the illegal slums were established on CDA lands and “support was given to land grabbers and land mafia” which changed and damaged the master plan of the capital.

The FIA was also asked to conduct an inquiry against such CDA officials by the federal minister on September 8.

Police investigation had earlier found evidence of CDA officers’ involvement in the scam

Last month, the federal government appointed a senior police officer, Hussain Asghar, as the inquiry officer to probe the same matter.

Sources said the inquiry had found several leads which indicated the involvement of several CDA officials in the scam.

The issue of illegal slums came to light last month when the CDA bulldozed the I/11 slum which was the largest in Islamabad. The operation received a lot of criticism because it rendered around 10,000 slum dwellers homeless without offering them an alternative place to live.

According to the CDA record, there are 43 illegal and 10 legal slums in Islamabad Capital Territory.

The sources said the slum dwellers were registered voters and local politicians also provided them protection just to grab their votes.

A Capital Development Authority officer said: “There are around 8,000 registered voters in Muslim Colony alone, which is located near the Diplomatic Enclave.”

A spokesperson for the CDA refused to comment on the authority’s stance on the interior ministry’s order to the FIA.