Selective CDA

With the induction of Dr Tariq Chaudhry as the Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division, the CDA seems to have suddenly become aware of the poor quality of roads in Islamabad, at least in the so-called VIP sectors, the Red Zone, Blue Area and sectors that are frequented by ministers and VVIPs. A number of roads in Sectors F5, F6, F7, etc, and a few main roads linking these sectors with less important sectors like F11 and E11 are being carpeted.

This move is praiseworthy if it was not so selective and discriminatory. For example, the service road to the east of Sector E11 is in a very bad condition and without streetlights. This road caters to heavy traffic in the federal capital. But the CDA does not want to upgrade and carpet this road on the plea that E11 is built by private housing societies, and that they should refurbish and upgrade the service road and make it two-lane as per the original plan of Islamabad. This is a faulty argument because maintaining all service roads in Islamabad is the responsibility of the CDA while roads within sectors are the responsibility of the housing societies. The minister of state, CDA and the newly elected mayor on whom the residents of these sectors are pinning their hopes are requested to take immediate action to redress the grievances of the people living in these sectors.

Zaheer Ahmed

Islamabad