The illegal occupation on the parking lot meant for general public, corporate offices, and government’s land by Gerry’s in G-9 Mrakaz of the federal capital has irked citizens, which may lead to any untoward incident.
According to a survey, Gerry’s office has illegally occupied the parking lots on its front and back sides as well as some portion of the main road. Due to an illegal encroachment of the parking lot at Geryy’s front side, the clients of Silk Bank and Bata Shoes showroom have been deprived of parking space for their vehicles.
The concrete made heavy road barriers have also been erected on this roadside parking, despite the fact that roadside parking is meant for the general public too. Due to these encroachments, brawls and altercations among the general public, clients of Silk Bank and Bata Shoes Showroom and Gerry’s armed security guards have become a routine.
Due to Gerry’s illegal occupation on parking at the back side of its office, the clients of Soneri Bank and the people who do business or visit London plaza, opposite to Gerry’s office, don’t have any space for parking. This is because Gerry’s has illegally occupied the parking meant for London Plaza too by erecting heavy cemented road barriers and deploying armed guards on the pretext of security measures. Besides, Gerry’s has also illegally occupied the footpath meant for pedestrians by erecting heavy concrete barriers.
Quarrels take place daily among the people and armed guards of Gerry’s office and sometimes traffic police have to interfere to defuse the tension in such incidents. According to the officials of traffic police deployed in the area, Gerry’s has illegally encroached upon both the front and back side parking of its office, however, they are helpless to get these encroachments removed.
Capital Development Authority (CDA) is also silent on the matter. Many citizens, including a lawyer Sadar-ud-Hashim Mitha, have filed applications with the deputy and senior superintendent of Islamabad Traffic Police as well as the interior ministry seeking removal of encroachments by Gerry’s office, but of no avail. They said it seemed as if Gerry’s had the exclusive right to the whole parking area situated all around its office.
Despite repeated attempts to get version over the issue, Gerry’s Group Managing Director Akram Wali Muhammad or any other responsible official could not be contacted. The affected staff of corporate entities, residents and business community of the area demanded the concerned government officials to take strict action against the illegal occupation of government land as well as parking meant for the general public by Gerry’s office.
It is worth mentioning here that Gerry’s is a courier company having a contract of passport collection services for the visas of the majority of European and other countries.
