The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday has filed reply in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding operation against slum dwellings, requesting the court to annul restraining order against the anti-encroachment operation.
CDA’s Director Zafar Iqbal submitted the reply in the Supreme Court. The authorities have stated that the institution is not authorized to tone down encroachments under the CDA Act 1960. However, Housing Ministry could allocate budget to allot land to slum dwellers otherwise land mafia would grab the government property.
The 11-page reply states that non-action against slums violates Islamabad Master Plan. Slums in I-11 came into being owing to settlements of Afghanistan refugees.
The Capital Development Authority has requested the court to cancel restraining order and permit the authorities to continue operation in I-11.
Earlier, the apex court had barred CDA from bulldozing slums and sought replies from the government and other departments concerned. Details of housing policies of the government were also sought.
The court had stated that Afghan migrants have been there for as long as four decades and no government or national institution provided substitute places.
On July 30, 2015, a grand operation was launched by the law enforcers and the CDA in Sector I-11. The operation caused an uproar as refugee children and families had no place else to go. The operation was halted on orders of the Supreme Court.
In November, a court had remanded six CDA directors among 11 officials in Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) custody for three days.
The officials were accused of assisting land grabbers in Afghan slums. The accused included two deputy directors, six directors, assistant director, supervisor and sub-inspector.
Thousands of Afghan refugees moved to Pakistan after Soviet-Afghan war. Since the start of Pakistan s comprehensive strategy to kill growing insurgency after Army Public School (APS) attack on December 16, 2014, National Action Plan (NAP), the Interior Ministry has launched workable process to either register the refugees or repatriate them.