As a result of complete negligence of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), over 90 embassies and foreign companies are operating in the different residential sectors of the city which is not only an open violation of the authority laws but also posing a security risk.
“As many as 43 diplomatic missions and 48 foreign companies are functioning in the residential sectors of Islamabad in complete violation of the CDA’s bylaws,” an official source told Pakistan Today.
As these foreign missions were located in the various parts of the city, the law enforcement agencies had barricaded different roads and the embassies, he added.
He said because of the prevailing law and order situation in the country, unprecedented security arrangements had been made for the foreign missions, which was creating problems for the public.
“The government is spending billion of rupees for the protection, safety and security of foreign missions and other offices established in Islamabad. Shifting of embassies to the diplomatic enclave would not only address the security concerns of these embassies but would also save money incurred on the task,” he noted.
The official said the commercial use of residential buildings was a violation of CDA’s building by-laws, but the poor check had not only allowed foreign missions operating in the residential areas but also resulted in mushrooming of commercial centres in the localities. He said the CDA had allocated 700 acres of land for the establishment of a new diplomatic enclave.
He said the embassies and foreign missions functioning in the residential areas included that of Algeria, Norway, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Hungary, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Philippines, Belgium, Malaysia, Sudan, Oman, Libya, Brazil, Romania, Afghanistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Australia, Holland, Korea, Portugal, Republic of Northern Cyprus, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Finland and Latvia.
