Islamabad - The Capital Development Authority seems to have decided to allow use of its land as access road to a housing society reportedly owned by a politician linked to the ruling party, sources told on Friday.

They said that Director General Environment CDA Sanaullah Aman withdrew the orders for action against the illegal access road from federal capital limits into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the area of Gokina.

They said that Aman has asked Special magistrate CDA not to take action in case somebody uses capital’s land for an access to the KP at Gokina.

He argued that free movement is fundamental right of every person which cannot be denied under any circumstances and that movement through state land cannot be stopped, suggesting that the road linking the Margalla Hills National Park with Haripur at Gokina can also be used by the housing scheme, said the sources.

Sources further said that some developers have purchased land in Haripur and now want to link it with Gokina —border of the capital — as the prices of land will increase. According to sources in the CDA, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi has been requesting the CDA to construct the small portion of the road. He was of the view that the new proposed road would also benefit locals and would save their time in travelling. He was pushing for getting permission from the CDA for the construction of the road, a CDA official said on condition of anonymity.

On the other hand, the mayor as Chairman CDA had given approval for the road on the request of the deputy speaker. According to that understanding, the funds for constructing the road was to be arranged for the road by the sponsoring agency/housing society. The cost estimates amounting to Rs1.380,181 million for construction of Katacha Road from Haripur to Gokina Link Road, Islamabad was prepared by MPO directorate of CDA and approved by the Chairman, CDA as deposit work.

According to the documents, the deputy speaker’s office also submitted the required amount in the CDA’s accounts on May 4, 2017 for the construction of the three furlong katchi road from Haripur to Gokina.

However, the mayor later changed his decision and withdrew the letters dated April 24 and May 16, 2017, saying there is currently no plan for the construction of or giving the permission to construct new road.

The sources said that the officials in the CDA have now decided not to take up the issue of construction of the road but go lenient in case someone uses the kataha road connecting Haripur from Gokina. The notices earlier issued to the violators have also been taken back, sources said.