-Instead of clarifying, Director Sanitation points fingers at massive encroachments of the ISI
ISLAMABAD: It was December when a former high official of the capital’s civic agency, who was once in charge of estate directorate, illegally constructed a metallic wall on the road adjacent to his newly purchased house in sector I-8 and blocked the entrance and exit way for the local residents.
The material for the said illegal construction was provided in the CDA’s vehicles, the neighbours told Pakistan Today. “The structure covered almost 10 marla land worth millions of rupees and the encroachers also spent a huge sum of money to furnish the land with tuff-tiles.
Earlier, a small gate was constructed for pedestrians to pass through both sides of the roads, but later it was blocked as well, due to which residents are suffering,” the neighbours told this scribe, adding that they feared that one day they [encroachers] will convert it in a plot and construct big structure on it as there is no authority who can grab the bull by its horns.
Despite the fact that the Prime Minister’s Public Affairs and Grievances (PMPAG) Wing has written a letter to the chairman of the CDA on December 29, 2017, directing the civic agency to remove the encroachment on the green belt and proposed legal action against the encroacher, but it was an exercise in futility.
At a time, when CDA’s anti-encroachment operations led by Ishrat Taj Warsi are in full swing on the directions of then-CDA chief Anser Aziz, the issue still persists in this particular case. All the officers concerned seem reluctant to take a legal action against their fellow man.
Moreover, the local residents have also registered their complaint with the federal ombudsman about the matter pertaining to the house owned by Saadullah Zimri, who had served as the deputy director general at the Estate Directorate.
Haroon Abbasi, the complainant, claimed that when they approached the ombudsman and PMPAG, a team of CDA’s enforcement directorate visited the encroachment site – House 785B, Street 84, I-8/4.
“The enforcement officers saluted the man came out from the residence and apologised for visiting the site to remove the encroachment as they were unaware of the owner of the house and went back without taking any action,” claimed Haroon while saying that he has the CCTV footage of the whole episode and can provide this to the authorities concerned.
Sardar Khan Zimri, CDA Director Sanitation and son-in-law of Saad Zimri, is also backing this encroachment through his influence in the enforcement directorate, he revealed.
During the case hearing on January 1, the enforcement staff submitted the map to the ombudsman and lied that the place in question not exist and there is the Nullah Lai in place of that, Haroon said. “After they lied to the court, I have sent them another legal notice,” he went on add.
Nabeel Butt, another neighbour of Zimri, told Pakistan Today that the street was open for general public since the time the sector was developed. “The local residents who visit the public park for jogging and walking purpose on daily basis are now facing hindrance and they have to take a long route to enter the park,” he said.
He further said that being CDA ex-official, Zimri has to obey the rules and regulations of the authority instead of violating it. The authorities should take notice of the situation and remove the encroachment, besides penalisation in this regard, he urged.
However, upon contact, Sardar Khan Zimri said that Saad Zimri is an upright man and he has done nothing illegal. “Why don’t the neighbours raise voice against the massive encroachment by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) colony, which is very next to this street and has illegally constructed walls that have blocked the way, he questioned.
He further said that his uncle Zimri is out of town and not available for comments.
“According to the sector plan of Planning wing, CDA, the street has a closed end, which was not constructed by the authority, so my father-in-law constructed it by himself,” he said.
However, Haroon questioned that who gave the authority to Zimri to take it upon himself of closing the street; if the authority had planned to close the street then why wasn’t it constructed earlier. He urged the high-ups of civic authority to look into the matter and take appropriate steps to remove encroachments.
CDA Enforcement Director and Administration Member were not available for comment. However, CDA’s Deputy Director Media Malik Saleem said that the matter would be brought in the knowledge of high-ups and a strict action will be taken against the violators.
