ISLAMABAD | Progress News & Updates

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

A ray of hope has emerged for hundreds of allottees of the much-delayed Sectors I-11 and I-12, as consensus has been reached between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the landowners over the compensation package after two decades.

“We have signed a package deal with the affectees of the two sectors that will pave the way for their development that has been lingering on for the last two decades,” said Member Engineering CDA Tahir Shamshad here Monday.

He said both CDA and the landowners have agreed to vacate the land by the mid of the next month that would follow the initiation of development work. The Authority would immediately float the tenders, however, he said that the award of contract might take sometime.

“But we will not await the to-be-hired contractor to start development, rather, we will assign the task to the MPO of the Authority that will bulldoze the constructions to pave way for development activity,” said Tahir Shamshad. He said the development work would take another two years to complete work on both the sectors that would be initiated simultaneously.

When asked, Shamshad said as it is a package deal, no pocket remains disputed in both the sectors and the whole area would be vacated by June 18 for clear possession by the civic body. He said it is long-awaited news for the 2,500 allottees, who were yearning to have their residence in the federal capital, though some of them are no more in this world, as the issue had stayed unresolved for more than two decades.

Shamshad said that Sectors I-11 and I-12 were in possession of the affectees of Village Soran and Bokra since the last four decades and about 2,500 plots were allotted by CDA in Sector I-11. He said as per deal, CDA would get 12,000 kanals of land at its disposal for housing units and 300 commercial plots in Sector I-11 for their auction.

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Delay in approval of revised Master Plan of Islamabad is causing problems in various areas, including development of new residential sectors, which are necessary to cope with ever-increasing shortage of housing units in the metropolis.

Sources told ‘The News’ that a proposal had been made in the revised Master Plan to increase the total number of residential sectors from 56 to 68 for ensuring thousands of additional housing units in the city. They said it had also been proposed to increase the number of series of sectors from 16 to 18 by extending the limits of Islamabad to the areas adjacent to the motorway.

Currently, the capital city has around 85,000 housing units in the developed residential areas, showing shortage of over 50,000 housing units. The development of new residential sectors could help meet the demand for housing units but delay in approval of the revised Master Plan might further worsen the situation.

A UK-based firm, Mott McDonald Pakistan (MMP), was assigned the task some years back to revise the original Master Plan of Islamabad, covering current and future development needs of the city and various other aspects including new housing sectors, extension in municipal limits, industrial activities, environmental protection, road repair, new parks and recreational areas and safety of existing water reservoirs.

The consultant company submitted the draft of the revised Master Plan to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) prepared in line with the directives given by a four-member ministerial committee constituted by the prime minister for this purpose. But since then no sign has so far been appeared to show that the Master Plan would be implemented soon.

According to a CDA official, the master plans of cities in modern world are revised after every 25 years but it is astonishing that the Master Plan of Islamabad is being revised on full-scale for the first time since the establishment of the city in 1960s.

The sources said the government officials were more interested to make minor changes in the Master Plan than its full-scale revision that made it difficult for the concerned authorities to meet the growing demands in various areas.

The first change in the Master Plan was made in 1964 when the location of Islamabad University — later renamed as Quaid-i-Azam University — was shifted from the National Park Area to its current location.

The Sector E-11 was to be acquired and developed for low-income private and government employees, but in 1964, the CDA was stopped from acquiring the area in consideration of the location of Golra Sharif shrine.

In 1969, the rural periphery of Islamabad along Kahuta Road was turned into an Industrial Triangle for medium scale industries. The location of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was also changed in 1974 from the area close to the National Institute of Health (NIH) near Chak Shahzad to its present location in Sector G-8/3.

Originally, half the H-series sectors were designated as green buffer and the other half for special institutions. But, in 1974, upper half of H-8 was given to different institutions for constructing their buildings, and H-10 and H-12 were selected for private educational institutes.

The CDA deputy director general (planning wing) told ‘The News’ that the draft of the revised Master Plan had been completed sometime back and they were preparing to give a presentation to the secretary Cabinet. He said the presentation would hopefully be conducted in the first week of the next month.

He said after the presentation the draft would be presented before the Cabinet for its detailed analysis before its final approval. “As the Master Plan has not been revised for the last so many decades, its revised version has been prepared in such a way that will certainly help meet the growing requirements and demands in various areas.

[J_Sultan]

Another shuttle bus service for twin cities
Published: May 27, 2009

ISLAMABAD - SSP Traffic Dr Sultan Azam Temuri has said that Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) are taking positive steps to facilitate commuters further on the road and all available resources are being utilised in this regard.
Dr Temuri said this on the occasion of inaugural ceremony of shuttle service for the employees of Pak Secretariat, which was widely endorsed and admired by the government employees.
According to details the ITP have started a local bus service to provide better services to the federal employees of Pak Secretariat that would ply from Pak Secretariat to Ayub Chowk during office hours helping the employees to reach their offices well in time.
The citizens highly appreciated the service being initiated by ITP. On inaugural ceremony of shuttle service, the SSP Traffic divulged that the aim of shuttle service was to develop the concept of community policing and to provide better traffic services to the citizens.
He added that ITP had already started a bus train service which was plying between Karal to Secretariat, Karal to F-8 and G-11 to Secretariat on nominal fares during office hours.
In the 2nd phase considering the problems of Pak Secretariat’s employees, the ITP started bus shuttle service for their convenience. “With the cooperation of representatives of public transport, ITP will start a bus service for women which will ply between the twin cities,” he added.

[JADI]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1156484/

Islamabad to get giant U.S. embassy

Massive expansion demonstrates significance of Pakistan, but sure to raise anti-U.S. sentiment

The United States plans to build a massive new embassy in Pakistan's capital, adding another several adjacent properties to the already sprawling compound to expand office space and accommodate 400 to 500 apartments, according to diplomatic insiders.

With large portions of Pakistan's population deeply hostile to the United States, the Islamabad project is sure to draw the ire of those who believe Washington has “imperial designs” on the region.

The scale of the project rivals the giant U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which was controversially completed at a cost of $740-million (U.S.), making it the biggest American mission overseas to date.

The project would be mirrored by an ambitious upgrade and expansion of the Kabul mission, putting a $2-billion-plus price tag on a revamped diplomatic presence for the United States in Afghanistan and Pakistan. U.S. President Barack Obama has repeatedly stated that stabilizing Afghanistan and Pakistan, home of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, is vital for U.S. security.

The State Department is seeking urgent financing for the Islamabad embassy project, with a little-noticed bill currently before Congress.

“This is a replay of Baghdad,” said Khurshid Ahmad, a member of Pakistan's upper house of parliament for Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the two main religious political parties. “This [Islamabad embassy] is more [space] than they should need. It's for the micro and macro management of Pakistan, and using Pakistan for pushing the American agenda in Central Asia.”

The mission houses a large military and intelligence contingent as well as diplomats. The site would expand by 18.5 hectares and buildings would be knocked down and reconstructed, according to diplomatic insiders, according to diplomats familiar with the plan, who could not be named as they were not authorized to speak to media.

In addition to the expansion in Islamabad, the United States would revamp its consular buildings in the eastern city of Lahore and in Peshawar, the regional capital of the militancy-plagued North West Frontier Province. The consulate in the southern megacity of Karachi has just been relocated into a new purpose-built structure.

According to diplomatic and business sources, the U.S. plan for the mission in Peshawar involves the purchase of the luxury Pearl Continental hotel, the only five-star hotel in the city, set in expansive grounds.

The hotel is owned by Pakistani tycoon Sadruddin Hashwani. The purchase is “pretty much done, though it's not yet complete,” according to a businessman familiar with the Pearl Continental deal, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.The Peshawar consulate would be moved to the hotel, which would also provide living accommodation for U.S. staff.

Peshawar is an important intelligence station, for gathering information on the tribal area that surrounds the city on three sides. The tribal area is the base for al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Jonathan Blyth, director of external affairs at the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations in Washington, part of the State Department, acknowledged that a new home for the Peshawar consulate was sought but declined to comment on the hotel plan.

The State Department has asked Congress for $900-million in financing for upgrading the U.S. presence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Almost all of it is for Pakistan. Mr. Blyth said the money covered “a comprehensive facility program for Pakistan.”

“For the strong commitment the U.S. is making in the country of Pakistan, we need the necessary platform to fulfill our diplomatic mission,” Mr. Blyth said. “The embassy is in need of upgrading and expansion to meet our future mission requirements.”

The new embassy complex should allow all American diplomats to live on site. The current mission is housed inside Islamabad's high-security “diplomatic enclave,” but some staff live in ordinary residential areas of the town., as there is not enough accommodation for everyone in the compound. Around 750 American staff are based in Islamabad.

In Kabul, the United States is first looking to secure more land around the embassy before seeking funds to build. The money in the bill includes $87-million for land purchase.

Some in the region, including, many believe, Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, are betting that Washington will seek an exit from Afghanistan. There are allegations that the ISI is maintaining ties with the Afghan Taliban insurgents for that reason, believing they would sweep to power once the U.S. departs. But the embassy plans suggest otherwise.

“This just shows that the Americans are going to be in Afghanistan for rather a long time,” said Kamran Shafi, a columnist with Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

The Globe and Mail

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Time will show us if its progress or future decline for Pakistan and the whole region

[sami231]

i don't see what's wrong with this project ...... so they are giving billions of dollars to pakistan and want more people supervising that money.... plus if u think about it $900 million going in pakistan economy ... that's a pretty damn good a deal ...

[Mojojojo.]

So if Perl Continental Peshawar is sold..... we should expect a new and a better one


*but on the other hand..... US is spreading its wings in the region beyond the limits

[siamu maharaj]

Bad news.

[JADI]

Originally Posted by Mojojojo.

So if Perl Continental Peshawar is sold..... we should expect a new and a better one

*but on the other hand..... US is spreading its wings in the region beyond the limits

I was thinking abt the same.
Hashwani group have had a Marriott(Hayatabad Peshawar) in the pipline for a long time. Sadruddin Hashwani has propably been waiting for the PC deal to be finalized with the americans and pak government, before he started work on this hotel.

In other words the vision of Marriott Peshawar might have been always related to the sale of PC Peshawar to the americans!!

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

If PC is sold, then there r bright chances of Marriott to be in Peshawar.

[KB]

If PC is sold for US consulate embassy, I think there are pretty grim chances of any thing good for a loooong time to come....and you guys are more worried about the marriott?

[JADI]

I am more worried abt the increasing presence of american personel in pk. Its a real bad news for Pakistan. And I was wondering whether the proposal of a new 5 star hotel (Marriott)in Peshawar was related to genuine demand for hotel rooms in the city or it has from beginning been related to the americans interest to acquire the PC Hotel for a "consulate".

Now no more talks on Peshawar in this thread from my side.

[siamu maharaj]

No, the PC was made because they thought their'd be demand. Let's not be paranoid, OK? And as as aside, when they were digging for PC Peshawar, skeleton of a whale was found.

[JADI]

I am talking abt the proposal of Marriott not abt establishment of PC in Peshawar

[spyk]

Originally Posted by siamu maharaj

Bad news.

Why?

The Americans are friends.

They provide money and weapons and F16s, whats the problem.

Ofcourse its not a perfect relationship and there are lots of complaints and they bitch about different things from time to time, but, it is still an alliance.

Plus, from a socio-political point of view, it is better to ally with a liberal western country, than, lets say, Russia.

[Mojojojo.]

yes but therz a limit to everything........

[Mojojojo.]

Originally Posted by siamu maharaj

No, the PC was made because they thought their'd be demand. Let's not be paranoid, OK? And as as aside, when they were digging for PC Peshawar, skeleton of a whale was found.

Serious.....?

do u hav any more info on that.....like where is tat skeleton now??

[pakboy]

Originally Posted by spyk

Why?

The Americans are friends.

They provide money and weapons and F16s, whats the problem.

Ofcourse its not a perfect relationship and there are lots of complaints and they bitch about different things from time to time, but, it is still an alliance.

Plus, from a socio-political point of view, it is better to ally with a liberal western country, than, lets say, Russia.

for who? the taliban

pakistan needs to urgently repair and fix its relationship with the russians and chinese and join the SCO block, not amercians

[siamu maharaj]

Originally Posted by Mojojojo.

Serious.....?

do u hav any more info on that.....like where is tat skeleton now??

Don't know. Probably some museum maybe?

This is all I could find:

http://blog.travel-culture.com/2009/...birth-on-land/

Where's Bolan Pass, btw?

[siamu maharaj]

Originally Posted by JADI

I am talking abt the proposal of Marriott not abt establishment of PC in Peshawar

Accept my apoligies, I read it wrong.

[KB]

Originally Posted by spyk

Why?

The Americans are friends.

They provide money and weapons and F16s, whats the problem.

Ofcourse its not a perfect relationship and there are lots of complaints and they bitch about different things from time to time, but, it is still an alliance.

Plus, from a socio-political point of view, it is better to ally with a liberal western country, than, lets say, Russia.

That's teh second time I am having to ask you to stop posting off-topic comments. This is a perfect example of a post to start an off-topic debate. If you are so interested, please ask the forumer via PM.

Originally Posted by pakboy

for who? the taliban

pakistan needs to urgently repair and fix its relationship with the russians and chinese and join the SCO block, not amercians

and you ain't helping the cause by replying to such.