Zubair Qureshi
Once known for its spacious roads, footpaths, pavements and plenty of space, Islamabad’s spectacular sector, Markaz G-8 is now squeezed, encroached and blocked at different points.
The sector is now lying at the mercy of property mafia, showroom owners and land grabbers.
These elements gradually and quite systematically have occupied the open space, green belts and free land of Markaz G-8 in the name of parking lot for their plazas, showrooms and plantation.
Interestingly, all this is taking place right under the nose of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) that are supposed to take prompt action and check and remove all these encroachments. While drawing attention of Pakistan Observer, various employees of the banks, hotels, restaurants and other offices said these mushrooming businesses of showrooms, private hospitals, real estate and housing societies have added to their daily ordeal of commuting between the G-8 Sector and they face difficulty in parking their vehicles and even walking in the streets and on the pavements.
A recent example of this blatant encroachment is that of the blocking of a pedestrian passage by the owner of a newly constructed commercial plaza thus multiplying the woes of the common man.
The said passage behind a filling station (PSO petrol pump) has been blocked with the help of the containers and plants in the name of plantation. As a result, the entire passage of around 150 feet in width and 1000 feet in length has been closed and the motorcyclists and pedestrians who earlier used to travel from there are now forced to use a long passage taking a circle of almost half a kilometre.
A tea boy of a nearby restaurant Mohammad Amir said earlier he used the blocked passage to deliver orders in the offices on time but now due to its closure, he cannot provide hot tea or meals. Moreover, he has to walk extra miles daily that is quite nerve breaking.
Another boy working at the filling station also regretted closure of the passage and said it was a clear violation of the CDA and MCI laws but authorities seem to be sleeping or they are helpless before the powerful businesses.
An official of the MCI when contacted said he was not aware of such encroachment, however, he gave assurance that he would look into the matter and get the passage free. “CDA’s business control department is primarily responsible for removing encroachment on a public passage,” he further said.
