ISLAMABAD - The Capital Development Authority on Wednesday remained failed to carry out an operation against illegal occupants of Afghan Basti in I-11 sector.
Though the staffers of Enforcement Directorate of the Authority reached the venue along with heavy machinery but they did not carry out the operation owing to the alleged non-cooperation of the Islamabad Police. The Authority has scheduled to complete the operation aimed to evict the occupants of CDA’s land till February 11.
Earlier, CDA was supposed to initiate a mega operation on January 5 with an aim to evict some 864 families illegally occupying CDA’s land, but it did not happen. As not only the illegal occupants of Afghan Basti but also their sympathizers belonging to several political parties pledged to defy any such move on behalf of the authority.
Senator Muhammad Adrees Safi had also raised this issue on the floor of the Senate. “In tribal areas drones are killing our people, while here in the federal capital CDA is going to evict the already troubled people,” Safi observed. “Where do we go,” he had questioned.
A grand operation titled “Aman, Salamti aur Behtari” was expected to be launched on January 5, 2013. The operation is divided in three phases. During the first phase of the operation the Authority in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has completed survey of Afghan Basti to ascertain the number of encroachers here. During the survey it is also established that slum is fast turning into a safe haven for all kinds of illegal activities.
The city managers are considering some options that include relocation of 114 registered Afghan families (1,022 individuals) and 27 non-registered Afghan families (254 individuals) to Kot Chandan Camp.
The Authority is also considering to shift displaced families of Bajur Agency and Mohmand Agency currently residing in Afghan Basti to somewhere near Rawat.