ISLAMABAD - The Capital Development Authority (CDA) allegedly in connivance with Islamabad Cricket Council (ICA) has created some residential plots out of the land of a cricket ground located in Sector F-11/1 and as a ‘reward’ the authority has inducted the son of a PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) member in its official cricket team. Some days back, the CDA’s planning wing created some six new residential plots unlawfully out of a significant portion of a cricket ground located at street 73 of sector F-11/1.
The said cricket ground is currently under occupation of Secretary ICA Irfan Manzoor, who runs a private cricket club here. Islamabad Cricket Association oversees the administration of all registered cricket clubs in Islamabad.
This cricket ground is one of the nine out of 17 CDA-owned cricket grounds in Islamabad that is being occupied unlawfully by private individuals or private cricket clubs, which has made these facilities inaccessible for the general public.
The CDA’s planning wing claims that these new plots have been created out of waste land located between the cricket ground and a seasonal nullah passing through the area. However, the sources privy to the development claim otherwise; as according to them, these plots were created after squeezing in size the current cricket ground area. Interestingly, the ICA office-bearers were the first who caught illegal move of the CDA. But instead of protesting at relevant forum they decided otherwise.
Sources privy to the development claim that within a few days of creation of plots - which a few weeks later were sold to the general public in a land auction organised by the CDA – the ICA moved a file to the CDA high-ups containing names of nine cricket players registered with the private cricket clubs owned by the ICA office-bearers. The ICA demanded to induct these players into the CDA cricket team on daily wage basis, contrary to the fact that the CDA 21-member approved cricket team is already over-staffed and currently it has strength of 23 members.
“Owing to the level of illegality, the CDA management preferred to bow before the demand of the ICA and initiated process of recruitment of new players,” the official claimed. In response, the ICA hushed up the matter but fortunately locals of the area, who have already been struggling to get back the possession of cricket ground from ICA so that community children could play there, got knowledge of the illegality. “Now the CDA management is caught in a situation, where on one side the locals were forcing the CDA to relocate newly created plots from the cricket ground to some other location while on the other ICA was forcing the high-ups to finalise the recruitment process,” the official said.
The CDA Sports and Culture Director General Asif Shahjahan, a few days ago, talking to The Nation said, “The file (for induction of new cricketers) has been forwarded to the CDA chairman.”
Shahjahan dispelled the impression that the players have been selected on favouritism. He, however, failed to give a satisfactory answer about the criteria adopted by the CDA before selecting them.
When reminded that the cricket team was already overstaffed, Shahjahan claimed that he has categorically mentioned on the file that new recruitment should only be made after fulfilling all necessary formalities. Interestingly, the cricketers also include a name Moeed Sheikh, son of Pakistan Cricket Board governing body member and president of ICA, Shakil Sheikh.
Shakil Sheikh, who is also a member of Pakistan cricket Board (PCB), talking to The Nation refuted the allegation that his son had been inducted in the official team of CDA as a result of conversion of cricket ground land into residential plots. He did not reply the question why ICA had made the grounds inaccessible by fixing heavy fees to play in these grounds. Secretary ICA Irfan Manzoor commenting over the issue said it was inappropriate to link recruitment process with this illegality.
He confirmed that CDA had created plots at a corner of cricket ground currently meant for net practice. “Locals of the area have already moved the court against the CDA. While ICA has also been assured by the chairman CDA that these plots had mistakenly been created and that they will be relocated soon,” Manzoor said.