CDA begins an anti-encroachment drive in Islamabad. Illegal buildings including McDonald’s destroyed along the Kashmir Highway.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Saturday launched a massive drive to retrieve state land from the occupation of the encroachers and remove illegal marquees along the Kashmir Highway.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration and ICT Police are working with CDA to destroy the illegal buildings including McDonald’s.
Several establishments, including many marquees, restaurants, hostels and showrooms, illegally established on Kashmir Highway, were razed with heavy machinery.
The operation hit a Mcdonald’s outlet set up at a filling station along the Kashmir Highway in sector H-13. Later, the enforcement team reached ‘Venue One,’ ‘Galaxy’ and other marquees and demolished them.
The CDA officials said that the owners of the establishments were served notices, but they did not pay any heed to the warnings. Subsequently, the CDA planned the operation to remove encroachments along Kashmir Highway in sector G-12.
Around 350 officials actively participated in the operation, according to the CDA. The police arrested over two dozen persons for resisting the operation; however, no law and order situation arose on occasion. According to the Islamabad zoning regulations, marquees cannot be established in the area alongside the highway.
Member (Estate) CDA, Khushhal Khan, supervised the operation while DC Islamabad, SSP Islamabad, Additional Deputy Commissioners, and Assistant Commissioners were also present. Personnel of Rangers assisted the local police to maintain law and order as the operation continued.
Minister for Information, Fawad Chaudhry, also inspected the site and said that the operation would continue till all the encroachments are removed.
It is also expected that anti-encroachment operation will take place in Lahore and Karachi soon. Lahore Development Authority has prepared a list of areas and buildings where the operation will be conducted.