Corruption and illegal activities by CDA (Capital Development Authority).Islamabad, Pakistan

Capital Affairs—Departure of clean and Green Environment.
The Capital Development Authority, established under CDA ordinance 1960 having a Board of Directors appointed by the Federal Government vested with general direction and superintendence of the affairs and the Business of the CDA.
Working under Establishment Division, the Capital Development Authority is the
overall administrative, developmental and regulatory authority of the city with
the objectives of city maintenance, citizen’s satisfaction, availability
of indispensable necessities, further expansion of city with the passage of
time, Planning and execution of development schemes, and such like other tasks
and is required to take measures to improve civic amenities including parks,
playgrounds, udyans and gardens identified as such in Master Plan and maintain
the same. Capital Development Authority is the principal authorizing and
controlling agent for any building construction and development activity within
the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad City and is responsible for strictly
implementing the Master Plan of the City. One of its key tasks is to undertake
and execution of development projects like open spaces, parks, playfields,
lakes, etc.

The Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation is another body
set up by the Federal Government during 1988 to provide shelter to employees of
the Federal Government by launching self-financing housing schemes for them
including serving and retired and for other specified groups of people. Working
under Ministry of Housing and Works, the Foundation is registered as a company
limited by guarantee under the Companies Ordinance, 1984.
With the putting into action of Islamabad, a unique outline of master plan of
the new capital city was devised by an international architecture firm, Doxiadis
Associates and then details of the plan with all its intricate and complex
nuances was made possible by the dedication, professionalism, expertise and
tireless efforts of the then members of the CDA and after lengthy struggle that
multiple team was able to complete the master plan. the said Master Plan tends
to define `open space` as including but not limiting to parks, playgrounds, play
fields, botanical gardens, fountains, reflecting pools and other bodies of
water, walkways and non-build able rights of the way, and nullahs.

On creation of the Housing Foundation in 1988, the CDA and the Foundatin joined
hands to share the responsibility of allotment of plots obviously within the
ambit of Master Plan of Islamabad city. Responsibility of allotment of plots to
the general public was of Respondent “CDA†, and
“Foundation† was responsible for allotment to the Government
employees and attached autonomous organizations. The Foundation has fixed a
quota for allotment of plots; 75% for employees of Federal Ministries/
Divisions/ attached department and their subordinate offices; 8% for autonomous/
semi-autonomous Government organizations and public sector corporations under
Federal Government; 5% for employees of constitutional bodies/ professionals; 5%
for retired Federal Government employees; 2% for widows of those Federal
Government employees who died during service; 3% for journalists; 15 for
disabled; and 1% for hardship cases.

Quite contrary to the norms of equality, while entering into agreement with the
CDA, the Foundation fixed 20% quota of plots for the employees of the CDA. The
CDA being an autonomous body should have been included/ placed alongwith other
corporation employees for the purpose of allotment of plots. In addition,
contrary to clear verdict given by the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan the
CDA authorities are of the view that deputation officers require the completion
of one year service in the CDA to qualify for the plot. Similarly allotment of
plots to the officers of the Housing Foundation are made on the basis of one per
cent quota to those employees who have served 10 years in government and have
served in the Foundation for not less than six months. Allocation of separate
quota for a class of employees relating to an autonomous body and showering
plots on the officers completing one year service in CDA for CDA employees and
six months service for employees of the Housing Foundation is quite
discriminatory and clear violation of Article 25 of the Constitution of
Pakistan.
For the last two years CDA as well as the foundation has been involved in
clearing green belts, nullahs, area not announced for any building or any other
purpose and such like other spaces in sectors I-8, I-9, I-10, G-10, G-11 and
D-12 for new plots to be allotted to the employees of the CDA while 967 plots
were allotted to only officers including 120 DMG group officers in sector I-8 by
abolishing the Green areas, creating various issues for the already settled
residents. 4, 767 plots were allotted to the officers and the employees during
the terms of the former Chairmen CDA Kamran Lashari, Tariq Mehmood and the
current Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Ilahi by mostly abolishing the green belts and
unspecified areas. The illegal construction made on newly created plots is
hindering in smooth flow of rain and nullah water causing severe inconvenience
in those areas. Such activities of both CDA and the Housing Foundation are
dangerous and impact of this illegal construction will cause loss of property
and deterioration of health of the new and old residents in those areas. New
houses are being constructed without fulfilling the set criteria of the housing
ministry and are being rented out. Furthermore, these new constructions are
blocking the natural flow of sewerage and rain water into a nullah in these
sectors.
Due to illegal activities being carried on by both the departments the value of
houses around has gone down by half, both in terms of capital and rental value,
including loss of view, open space, plenty of greenery and natural light, and
the people of those areas are feeling suffocated and are not able to enjoy fresh
air as was two/three years back. There are houses in the corner of almost every
street that is almost touching the road from the front and side. This action not
only has made these sectors over crowded, but has caused imbalance in power
supply to the area, and has also destroyed the roads due to construction
activity. In order to avoid the objections/ satisfy court Appeals of corner plot
owners of those streets, the respondents have played a trick and left a 10 feet
street in between the two houses, which is of no use because it is closed from
the other side and which resulted in the new corner plot to look like being
constructed in the middle of the road when viewed from the side, which of
course, creates problems for the vehicle drivers entering or leaving the street.
The trees provide shade, and give us oxygen, which makes the atmosphere cool and
keeps a better environment. The indiscriminate cutting of trees in the areas has
a severe impact on the atmosphere of the area. There were beautiful trees in
green belts, which was providing shades to the many and was keeping the
atmosphere cool. Under the guise of development, many of them were already cut
and a few remaining which too is being abolished for creation of new plots. This
indiscriminate deforestation is destroying this natural heritage therefore it
needs to be protected on top priority.
How plots are being allotted in posh and expensive sectors of Islamabad is an
interesting phenomenon. In one case the officer who was obliged to allot plots
to others has himself acquired an expensive plot, and says he has the right to
do so. Interestingly before Mr. Sher Afzal, who was responsible for allotting
plots to federal government employees from junior cadres to federal secretaries,
himself got the plot in Sector I-8 in excess of his entitlement (as 600 square
yards plot was allowed to officers in Grade 20 and above but not to a Grade-19
officer), the Foundation’s Executive Committee offered plots to CDA
chairman and all the six CDA members in other sectors, obviously, as bribe.
However when they came to know the scandalous nature of the whole episode and
learnt that media had started probing into it, they dropped the idea to take
these plots. How the Executive Committee of the Foundation allowed Category-I
plot to a 19 Grade officer is also a question mark. Currently the Housing
Foundation has made allotments to federal government employees in sector G-14
but to some other blue eyed employees have been allotted plots in I-8 and other
posh sectors. The location wise value of plots in the capital city Islamabad is
very different from other cities as according to real estate experts the prices
of plots existing in luxurious sectors like I-8 and “F† Series
are extremely high than those existing in far flung sectors like G-14. Disparity
can be seen that the price of 600 square yard plot in sector I-8 and
“F† sectors is more than Rs30 million while that a plot with the
same measurement in sector G-14 is merely Rs3 million to Rs4 million.
In utter violation of the rules and regulations as well as the verdict of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan, the CDA has also allotted plots worth billions of
rupees to the officers who had joined the CDA on deputation or allotted more
than one plot to the same employee mainly in the Sectors I-8, F-10, F-8, F-7,
F-6, G-10, and others by abolishing green belts and nullahs clearly in violation
of Master Plan. Certain deputation officers gained the plots despite the fact
that they had a very dull and bad performance during their tenure in their
offices merely on the basis of having 10 years government service and completed
one year service in CDA. It is an established position that till no amendment is
made in the master plan, anything done against it is a violation of CDA rules
but the present regime is grossly violating it saying that master plan is not a
sacrosanct document. The concerned authorities have absolutely ignored that
original master plan was in line with the rules of CDA Ordinance 1960, but the
recent changes are not. Construction on green belts is banned in Islamabad but
this is the second time that the CDA has occupied green belts for residential
purposes in these posh sectors. Establishment of Jinnah Convention Centre and
McDonald’s in F-9 Park are some of the violations of the master plan.
That the environment and ecology of Islamabad, are being continuously endangered
and threatened by various activities originating from both the CDA &
Foundation. The City of Islamabad is no exception to this where the dwellers are
faced with horrible congestion and havoc of unplanned urbanization, affecting
their legitimate rights to healthy environment and enjoyment of the open spaces
for fresh breath and natural panorama for physical, mental and spiritual well
being.
The CDA who is in charge of all the properties and works is cutting and removing
all the trees in Islamabad and clearing the greenery. The reason is stated to be
for the creation of additional plots to be allotted to the employees of the CDA
which is absolutely illegal. Dozens of main roads, streets and link roads have
been blocked by the CDA to create space for new plots.  Clearance of greenery
have also severe ramification on the environment of the area, especially in this
summer season where the temperature has gone to the maximum in this city.

The CDA is celebrating the Golden Jubilee. If we glance through the efficiency
and performance level of this government department it transpires that even
after 50 years of its establishment half of Islamabad is yet to be developed,
last residential sector developed in Islamabad was F-11 that was opened 23 years
ago in 1987 and since then no residential sector has been given to the people
increasing housing backlog to highest level, sectors G-12 and F-12 indicate the
helplessness of CDA, People are still facing acute water scarcity in the city
which aggravates in summer, sewerage system has become obsolete, basic civic
amenities are not available, federal capital has no bus service/ urban transport
system, rate of pollution has increased manifolds mainly due to reckless cutting
of trees marring the green image of the city. With this efficiency level
showering countless facilities to these departments and even allowing them to
freely play with the lives of the inhabitants of the city by taking actions like
narrated above is absolutely incomprehensible and is a joke with the Rule of
Law.

I am resident of Islamabad and I strongly protest against the indiscriminate
cutting of shady trees, clearance of green areas, and abolishing nullahs in
Islamabad by the CDA in collaboration with the Federal Government Employees
Housing Foundation to create additional plots for their employees, which is
contrary to the endeavors of environment conservation, internationally accepted.

To avoid litigation and then cursing the courts of law the concerned ministries
i.e. the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Housing and Works should
immediately look into it at their own as state of affairs adopted by both the
departments is detrimental to the environment of the city and health of its
habitants, and is absolutely against the law of equality of citizens. Any
litigation would put the Government in a very embarrassing position. The
concerned Ministries should immediately:

1.      forbear the CDA and the Foundation from cutting and removing the trees from
the city;
2.      forbear both the departments from abolishing the nullahs and green belts/
open places from the city;
3.      cancel all the plots allotted to the employees of CDA and Housing Foundation
by clearing the nullahs and green belts in all the sectors;
4.      demolish the illegal construction made over those plots.
5.      cancel the quota system of allotment of plots to the employees of CDA and
Housing Foundation which is clear violation of Article 25 of the 1973
constitution.
6.      direct both the departments to replant the trees in the areas from where they
have cut the same.
7.      ensure that such practice is never repeated in future.