National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat constituted a sub-committee to implement recommendations regarding the removal of Afghan settlements located in the federal capital.
The committee met on Monday with Dewan Ashiq Bukhari in the chair.
MNA Dr Tariq Fazal would head the sub-committee while its members would be selected from the national assembly, ministry of interior and the ministry of state and frontier regions. Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) told the committee that there were 487 plots for Afghan settlements in sectors I-11 and I-12, out of which 130 plots had been occupied by refugees. He suggested that these refugees need to be removed to Jalozai Camp or another location should be allotted to them. He cleared that CDA would bear all expenses of this transfer. He informed members that in 2005 the land had been evacuated by CDA but the authority appeared to have failed to continue its occupation on the land. “Presently, only 10 percent refugees live there and while the remaining 90 percent were other illegal occupants, “he added.
He said that this settlement was a major security threat for the capital as most reported crimes were linked to people residing there. MNA Dr. Tariq said that there was clear evidence that officials of CDA were involved in illegal possession of land in the above mentioned sectors.
The NA panel further said that Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Inspector General Police (IGP) and Islamabad Police would also start a crack down against all illegal occupants for immediate evacuation of I-11 and I-12 sectors in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
The chairman committee summoned Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) officials in the next meeting to probe the matter of heavy tax imposition on international calls.
