ISLAMABAD   -   At the time when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led government is trying hard to bring investment in the country, the inefficacy and missing priorities of the city managers is creating unrest amongst the investors.

CDA had announced plans to build an international level food street named ‘Capital Street’ in Islamabad followed by a successful auction of eighteen restaurant plots fetching about Rs 4 billion but unfortunately the buyers are forced to go from pillar to post for the development of said project besides passing more than a year. Sources informed that the incumbent Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa is more interested to announce and launch new projects in the city instead of taking ownership of already announced projects. In April 2023, the city managers earmarked around 50 plots measuring one kanal each and 15 small shops in the vicinity of the old arts and craft village for open auction to attract national and international food brands. The civic authority had announced that it is going to establish Capital Street Islamabad on the pattern of JBR Dubai, City Walk Dubai, and Nizami Street Baku on 27 acres near Shakar Parian adjacent to Pak China Friendship Center.

Later in July same year, 18 out of total 50 plots were successfully auctioned and the civic authority fetched about Rs 3.82 billion. The CDA management promised the buyers that the infrastructure would be built on site prior to the handing over of these plots to them for running their restaurants. Plots in Capital Street Islamabad were designated for cafes, restaurants, bistros and eateries, etc. Investors particularly from national and international food chains, restaurants, bistros and people related to the food and beverage industry directly participated in the bidding process and got plots of their choices. However, the situation on ground is entirely different as CDA did not place even a single brick on site and the buyers who deposited millions of rupees are looking towards the incumbent management, which seems uninterested in taking the project seriously. “We have invested in the project as it was claimed by CDA to establish the food street on war footing but unfortunately they bluffed the investors as usual”, a buyer commented, who wished not to be named. He said after purchasing a plot from CDA, I went into an agreement with a reputed food chain but due to authority’s failure I am sustaining double loss.

“On the one hand the Prime Minister has made a special investment facilitation council to create ease of doing business and attract investment but at the same time CDA has failed to provide even basic infrastructure for this project”, he maintained. The written questions in this regard were extended to the Director Public Relations CDA Shahid Kiani but they remained unanswered till filing of this story. It is pertinent to mention here that instead of completing ongoing schemes, the incumbent management is starting multiple new schemes i.e. bird aviary at F-9, interchange at Sarena Chowk etc.