Denial of I-12 plot possession frustrates allottees

Islamabad: Thousands of plot allottees from Islamabad's Sector I-12, mostly from the middle class, have resented the prolonged denial of land possession, blaming it on the slow development work by the Capital Development Authority.

They said years of waiting had left them so frustrated that they're considering street protests against the civic agency for failing to fulfil its promise of early possession. The allottees told 'The News' that in May 2024, CDA chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa ordered completion of development work in I-12 within four months, but progress remained minimal afterward, leaving the sector without basic amenities like electricity and water supply.

They said that I-12, which comprised 6,040 residential plots of sizes 25x50, 30x60 and 35x65 across 745.87 acres of land, could help address the growing housing shortages in the city, so its early development was crucial, but it had been used as a garbage dumping site for decades. The allottees complained that instead of properly disposing of the accumulated waste, the CDA had been filling cavity areas in the uneven terrain with garbage, raising serious concerns about land stability and hygiene.