CDA op against Afghan Basti faces glitch

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD - The evacuation operation planned by the Capital Development Authority in Afghan Basti of sector I-11 has faced a glitch as the Islamabad Police intend to first clear the area of criminal elements to avert any resistance.

Dozens of the CDA personnel along with heavy equipment had already been deployed at the site but the Islamabad Police is yet to give any timeline for its planned operation. Last week, the sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet had set a deadline of February 11 for the CDA to evacuate the land as the sector had been allotted to the low-salaried employees.

Consequently, the CDA has started correspondence with all the stakeholders including the ICT Police to extend their cooperation to execute the task. For the last couple of days, around 125 personnel of the Enforcement Directorate had been deployed at the site; however they could not execute the operation owing to the non-deployment of the police.

The CDA would keep four teams, equipped a dozer, four trucks, three mini trucks and a coaster, deployed at the site even on the weekly holidays. The staff had been asked to remain on duty till February 11, the operation’s deadline even on the weekly holidays.

The CDA had carried out fresh survey of the slum in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other stakeholders.

In the past too, the CDA had planned the operations which were halted on intervention of UNHCR as the Basti also housed a number of Afghan Refugees.

Meanwhile, the number of inhabitants swelled to 864 families out of those only 141 were Afghan Refugees. According to the recent survey, of total 864 families, 285 hailed from Mohmand Agency, 39 from Bajaur, 121 from Mardan, 42 from Charsada, 92 from Peshawar, 23 from Dir, 10 from Nawshehra and 40 from Swabi.

The sector I-11 had been launched some 23 years ago and the allottees, majority of those comprises low-salaried employees, had been yearning to have possession of their plots.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ahmed Ali told APP that in a meeting between the CDA and ICT Police, it has been decided that the police would first apprehend the people reported to having weapons in their custody to avert any resistance during the operation.

He said the operation would be carried out in phases; however its duration cannot be ascertained at the moment. He said the area had been cleared in 2006 but the encroachment swelled there remarkably and it would also be examined as which of the CDA workers had been responsible for this negligence.

The CDA Spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the CDA had made a comprehensive plan for the operation after thorough discussion with all the stakeholders. The spokesman said the CDA was mulling various options to execute the task.

He said the CDA teams would remain deployed there for the operation and any report in this regard would be presented before the committee.
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