Illegal Construction: CDA seals Navy Sailing Club

Capital Development Authority (CDA) has sealed Navy Sailing Club due to illegal construction.

Naval authorities had constructed Navy Sailing Club illegally.

A cabinet member had raised questions in a meeting of the cabinet about the status of the illegally constructed Navy Sailing Club.

Earlier in July 2020, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed to seal the Navy Sailing Club on the Rawal Lake.

The court had noted that naval authorities had failed to justify the construction of the navy sailing club.

Cabinet members also raised the issue of the encroachments by the Nava Golf Course.

Chairman CDA confirmed that they had to seal the Navy Sailing Club. However, he said that they were discussing with naval authorities to clear the encroached right of way by the Golf Course.

Alleged Encroachment by Islamabad Club

The cabinet members also pointed out the issue of alleged encroachment by Islamabad Club next to the Sports Complex.

However, the Cabinet Secretary clarified that the security barrier in question is within the premises of the club.

He said there is no encroachment Islamabad Club has done on any government land.CDA also endorsed this point of view.

CDA has already sent a report on this matter to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Cabinet took note of the presentation by Chairman CDA on ＇Encroachment on E-8 and E-9 Sectors Margalla Road’, and directed CDA to enforce the action points in progress in line with the Cabinet’s decision.

The Cabinet further directed CDA to ensure the preservation of the green areas and public pathways in ICT at all costs. It further directed not to allow anyone, including government institutions, to encroach on the green areas.

CDA Construction of the underpass

CDA authorities informed that it had approved work to start PC-1 flyover at Shaheen Chowk within 3 months.

The Prime Minister noted the construction activity in ICT had taken place in, the last decade alone between 2010 and 2020.

Premier said that the activity is equal to the construction activity that had taken place in fifty years between 1960 and 2010, leading to depletion of green areas.

Background

The CDA had allotted sectors E-8 and E-9 to Pakistan Navy (PN) and Pakistan Airforce (PAF) by CDA in years 1974 & 1989 respectively.

From 2007 onwards enhancement of security paraphernalia for the protection of these sectors started. They extended up some of this security paraphernalia later to Green.

CDA approached the Ministry of defense (MoD) in Sep 2020 regarding encroachment on the Green belt along Margalla Road.

Cabinet had directed to Preserve Green belt along Margalla Road and remove encroachments that impede traffic flow.

Compliance to Cabinet Directives

In the beginning, CDA had contacted respective Services HQs in a bid to settle the issue. Later it approached the defense ministry for an amicable solution

CDA chairman also briefed about the Current Status.

CDA and defence ministry had held a preliminary meeting of stakeholders under the chair of Secretary Defence.

They are conducting a joint survey of the site.

Compliance started

Action Points Completed

The compliance with the Cabinet directive, NHQ & AHQ had taken measures to restore green belts alongside sectors E-8 & E-9 at Khayaban-e Iqbal. CHA has removed and re-aligned hampering infrastructures.