Shahid Rasheed Butt, the former president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), stated on Thursday that the business community supports the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) anti-encroachment drive. He added that this drive will help clean up encroachments in markets and residential areas, relieving the people living in Islamabad.
In a statement issued here today, Shahid Rasheed Butt said that anti-encroachment operations are being conducted across the city on the instructions of the Chairman, CDA, so that the city could be kept free from illegal constructions and encroachments. He said the district administration and Islamabad police must fully support the Enforcement Directorate in these operations, while commoners should extend full cooperation. This operation must be conducted throughout the city, demolishing several encroachments and illegal constructions and retrieving government land worth billions of rupees.
He said removing fruit and vegetable stalls and clearing both sides of the roads are necessary to clear traffic flow of disruption.
The business leader demanded that all footpaths be cleared during the drive and that illegal fences installed outside the houses be removed. The belongings of habitual offenders must be confiscated to teach them a lesson. He underlined that the encroachment mafia has taken over government land worth billions of rupees, which the CDA must recover.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said that CDA has also targeted businesses that have been using generators to maintain their electricity supply.
This is a questionable move, as businesses cannot depend on the government’s electricity supply, which could be more reliable.
The CDA has asked all such businesses to remove the generators without realising that these electricity generators are not hindering traffic or pedestrians.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said that the CDA chairperson should reconsider the decision, as it will not only add to the costs of business but also leave many businesses at the mercy of power distribution companies, which will destroy these businesses. He warned that this would leave thousands of people unemployed during merciless inflation.
