The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has yet to launch any new residential sector in the federal capital during the tenure of the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan on Friday while responding to a query during the Question Hour in the National Assembly (NA).
He said that the management of the civic body is busy in the development of sectors which have been already announced. He added that work in these sectors had been stalled for years either due to litigations with the locals or simply due to bureaucratic negligence.
Responding to another question, the minister said that the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) had distributed about 70,000 pamphlets amongst road users to acquaint them with road safety tips and safe driving techniques.
He said that the ITP has also launched awareness campaigns at all major thoroughfares of the city, while its education teams have been deployed at special pickets to guide commuters about traffic laws.
So far, he said, some 701,077 road users have been educated in the on-going year. He added that some 800 streamers have been displayed at Zero Point, Faizabad to Gulberg, Kashmir Highway, Margalla Road and Murree Road.
The minister told the house that during 2019, at least 839,256 people had been issued traffic violation tickets. Of these 109,214 tickets were issued to bikers for not wearing helmets while riding. Moreover, some 8,561 violation tickets had been issued to the drivers of vehicles without proper lights.
He said that ITP was regularly airing road safety tips, including advice to wear helmets for motorbike riders and the use of proper lights through its 92.4 FM radio station.
CDA urged to develop Sector E-11 Markaz
Traders of the federal capital have urged the CDA to focus on the development of Sector E-11 Markaz to facilitate people coming for shopping and helping grow business activities.
This was stated by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahmed Waheed on Friday.
Speaking to a delegation of Sector E-11 Traders Welfare Association (TWA), Waheed said that improvement in the condition of the markets was a civic issue directly affecting the people, particularly women, who come there for shopping.
A statement from the ICCI read that Sector E-11 Markaz TWA Chairman Awais Sheikh appraised Waheed of the challenges businesses were facing in the sector. He added that they were suffering due to bickering between the CDA and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).
Sheikh added that the CDA has not completed any development work in the markets of the federal capital for many years due to which condition of the markets has deteriorated.
The traders said that CDA should restart development works in markets, including E-11 Markaz.
He also called upon Hafeez Sheikh, Adviser to PM on Finance, to resolve the issue of Tier1 and Tier2 of retailers for tax purpose to save them from further troubles.
ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Abbasi and Vice President Saifur Rehman Khan said that IMC has made a thousand per cent increase in taxes without fulfilling the legal requirements, which should be immediately withdrawn.
They said that before increasing any tax rate, giving its advertisement in the press and arranging public hearing were the key requirements, but IMC has increased taxes without completing these formalities, which was unjustified.
