ISLAMABAD ( - The fate of ‘Jewel of Islamabad’ yet hangs in balance as the Capital Development Authority is yet undecided whether to conduct re-balloting of plots to resolve the controversy of ‘fixed balloting’ to oblige favourites or not.
“Still we are pondering various options on re-balloting of Park Enclave.
However, the final decision will be made after consultation with the higher authorities,” said a senior CDA official. On July 17 last, the CDA had conducted the balloting of around 613 plots but it caught controversy after media highlighted anomalies in the process.
Consequently, the National Accountability Bureau took up the alleged irregularities in the balloting process in which the influential people were allotted plots on prime locations.
 The Bureau had directed the CDA to hold re-balloting of plots to address the grievances of the allottees those had been given plots in depressed locations.
But later, the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division opposed the idea of re-balloting as it would drag the CDA into litigation as the allottees could challenge the process fearing to lose the attractive location of their plot.
The Authority had already decided to hold re-balloting of plots on December 5 as directed by the NAB but the parliamentary committee intervened and held the process in abeyance. Even in one instance, Leader of the House in Senate Jahangir Badr had apprised the House that fresh balloting of Park Enclave will be held.
The committee had asked the CDA Chairman Tahir Shahbaz to forward the matter to Law Division for legal opinion.
The chairman had resolved to defend the case at any platform as NAB had ordered them the re-balloting. The CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the matter has not yet been moved to Law Division rather the authorities concerned were deliberating on different options in this regard.
He said the CDA chairman had also briefed NAB authorities on the issue apprising them about the implications of re-balloting; however any final decision in this regard was yet awaited. However, the CDA has not yet taken action against the people responsible for ‘fixed balloting’ that was also recommended by the parliamentary body.
The CDA had already started construction work of boundary wall of the Enclave and was in process to hire consultancy firm in accordance with Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
Meanwhile, Capital Development Authority (CDA) has not yet given practical shape to its plan to construct multi-story parking plazas in Capital to overcome the parking problem.
Like in all other cities, traffic issue is surfacing in the capital city, with increasing population, the consumer needs are also increasing and therefore much commercial activity is witnessed here. Shortage of parking space in Blue Area and other major markets of the city including Aabpara, Super, Jinnah Super and Karachi Company is not only aggravating traffic problems but also increasing car-lifting incidents in the federal capital.
Traffic problems and car thefts can be overcome to a great extent by constructing proper multi-story car parking plazas in the city. Due to shortage of proper parking place in Blue Area, people park their vehicles far away from their offices, which wastes their time.
Most of the people park their vehicles on the roadsides that often results in traffic jams.
CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid talking to APP said the authority’s planning wing had started working to construct parking plazas, but they had not yet finalized this project to resolve parking problems.
According to the plan, the authority was to construct seven parking plazas in different phases, he said. In the first phase the civic body had to construct three parking plazas in different parts of Blue Area. The sites proposed by CDA for construction of plazas included one near Muslim Commercial Bank, another near Savour Food and third one near a mosque located at some distance from Savour Food.
The spokesman said that the authority is well aware of the parking issue and is striving to execute parking plaza projects.
He said CDA has also been urging the traders to assist the CDA in this regard as owing to the financial crunch it has been difficult for CDA to execute the project from its own resources.
However, the spokesman said the civic agency is taking all possible measures to provide maximum spaces for parking lots.