It seems the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has no interest in providing the youth with playgrounds to engage them in healthy activities. A number of public grounds in the city have been under the illegal occupation of influential individuals who are denying entry to the youth.

Lawyers associated with the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) have also encroached upon a public ground in Sector F-8 by setting up their chambers.

As many as nine grounds are under the illegal occupation of former and incumbent office-bearers of Islamabad Cricket Association who have made these facilities out of bounds for citizens.

Besides using these facilities for their own clubs, the occupants are using the grounds for commercial purposes by charging heavy fees ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs20,000 a day from the youth. Interestingly, CDA has been spending millions of rupees on the maintenance of the grounds occupied by the individuals but is unable to get them vacated.

“Recently, we played a match at Bhutto Cricket Ground, G-7, after paying Rs14,000,” said Mohammad Qasim, a young cricketer. He said the ground operator did not give any receipt for the payment.

Another youngster, Rizwan Ahmed, said except two all the cricket grounds in the capital were under the occupation of private individuals.

“I guess, one ground operator earns around Rs300,000 per month,” he said, adding hundreds of youngsters were unable to play cricket due to the unavailability of grounds.

Meanwhile, the lawyers associated with IBA have also set up a health facility for their community on the encroached land. Currently, they are busy in demarcating the leftover part of the ground to establish more chambers.

On the other hand, CDA, instead of taking action to get the grounds vacated, has been issuing notices to the managers of the grounds requesting them to vacate the premises.

According to CDA records, following grounds are under illegal occupation: F-7/1 Cricket Ground, G-9 Cricket Ground, F-11/1 Cricket Ground, G-11/1 Cricket Ground, Diamond Cricket Ground, National Cricket Ground, Saidpur Cricket Ground, Bhutto Cricket Ground and Shalimar Cricket Ground.

An official of the civic agency said under CDA bylaws private parties/individuals cannot operate the grounds.It is the civic agency which is supposed to maintain the facilities.

But some individuals in connivance with officials from CDA have been running the grounds and denying entry to the citizens for several years.

In 2006, the Supreme Court had directed CDA to develop and maintain public grounds.

“Only CDA will develop and maintain public parks, playing fields and graveyards as per provision of section 11 and 12 of the CDA Ordinance 1960,” the apex court had ruled.

The official said whenever any officer tried to get the grounds vacated from the individuals, he faced the music from the higher officers. As a result, the officials avoided taking action against the influential people.

“Whenever, we make any attempt, the next day we see the encroachers in the offices of our bosses, warning us to stay away,” the official said and added that in some cases the encroachers even managed to get the officers concerned transferred.

When contacted, Director General CDA Sports and Culture Nadeem Abro said public grounds meant for the public and cannot be used for any commercial activity.

“We are conducting a survey to know how many grounds are under the occupation of private individuals. After that, we will proceed against the encroachers,” he said, adding he had also heard that the individuals had been claiming that they had permission to operate the grounds.

Asked how CDA in violation of its own law and the Supreme Court orders can grant such a permission, the officer said: “I agree, there is no such provision but let me check, may be they have some sort of documents. That’s why I’m planning to have a meeting with the operators of the grounds to check their documents,” he said.

Talking about the encroachment at the F-8 ground by lawyers, Mr Abro said the lawyers had obtained a stay order and the CDA law department was trying to get the stay order vacated.

He said CDA had directed the lawyers not to make any further construction.

Speaking to Dawn, Nasir Iqbal, the president of Islamabad Cricket Association, said registered clubs were allowed to use the facilities free of cost. However, private parties are being charged for meeting day-to-day expenses of the grounds. Mr Iqbal claimed that CDA had allowed them to run these facilities for the “promotion of cricket.”

Meanwhile, the president of Islamabad Bar Association, Syed Mohamamd Tayyab, said lawyers had been facing shortage of space for establishing their chambers.

He said in 1980 Islamabad was given the status of a district but so far the government has failed to construct a judicial complex.

“Currently, there are 4,000 members of IBA. Every day, a majority of them have to appear in various courts. So we established some temporary chambers on the land of the ground. We will vacate the ground whenever we get an alternative place.” He said the IBA had been trying for the early start of construction work on the judicial complex.

A couple of weeks ago, MNA Musarat Rafique Mahesar had also taken up the issue in National Assembly. He had asked Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry about the occupation of cricket grounds in Islamabad by individuals.

Interestingly, CDA through the CADD minister submitted a reply to the house, saying a ‘survey’ was being conducted to ascertain whether any playground was under the illegal occupation. However, CDA confirmed that nine grounds were being used by Islamabad Cricket Association and “There is no information whether [players] have to pay for using the grounds.”

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2016