CDA to launch anti-encroachment drive in commercial areas
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—The Capital Development Authority will launch an anti-encroachment drive in the commercial areas of the federal capital, a senior CDA official said here on Sunday.
Talking to newsmen he said the Authority has received a lot of complaints regarding the growing number of encroachments by the people as well as media, so it would launch a drive to remove encroachments from the commercial areas.
“The encroachments also usurp the pedestrian’s rights as many are using the footpaths for commercial purposes while the other have encroached the footpath to decorate their sale items”, he said.
The official said in the first phase, the Authority will focus on main markets, including Abpara Market, sectors G-9, G-8 and I-10 where the encroachers are causing panic to the people. He said later, the Authority will also start action against the people encroaching CDA land in the residential areas.
He said the non-conforming use of the residential units is another panic for the people living nearby. He said the Authority had issued notices to the people making non-conforming use of their residential plot and the cases have been forwarded to the deputy commissioner, who will decide their fate.
The official said the Authority has formed patrolling teams to move around the federal capital to check the encroachments in the rural belt of the city. The official refuted the notion that the Authority was demolishing the chappar hotels, rather he said, the action would be taken against only those hotels which are not registered with the Authority.