ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested 11 officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for their alleged involvement in facilitating illegal slums in Islamabad.

The FIA also nominated 53 other offi cers of the civic agency for allegedly helping establish slums in the city, particularly in sectors H-10 and H-9.

After learning about their colleagues being arrested, several CDA offi cers did not show up at work on Tuesday to avoid arrests.

The arrested officers include Director DMA Tahir Shahbaz, Director Enforcement Azhar Khurshid, urban planner Naveedul Haq, Deputy Director Malik Atta, Supervisor Mohammad Iqbal and Inspector Shahid Iqbal.

FIA sources said efforts to arrest other accused officers were underway.

There are 56 illegal slums in the capital at the moment. The FIA, on orders from the interior minister, is taking measures to unmask CDA officers who helped illegal settlements. The interior minister had said government offi cials were encouraging land grabbers.

A senior CDA offi cer told Dawn the authority will face a shortage of staff because some officers will decide not to come in for a few days.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2015

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