ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is planning to construct a new road to merge Diplomatic Enclave and its extended area for better security arrangements.

An official of the engineering wing of CDA told Dawn on Monday that the old Diplomatic Enclave is a fully protected area, but there is a road on 3rd Avenue between the enclave and the extended area, which is used frequently by locals and the general public.

The official said that while, on the other side of the road, there is an embassy of a friendly country therefore the government had decided to merge both areas for better security arrangements.

The official said that the avenue would not be closed down permanently but restricted traffic would be allowed. He, however, said that frequent travellers like students of university, pilgrims of Bari Imam and people who are living in Bari Imam and other adjoining areas would be provided an alternate road.

He said that a 3 kilometre alternative road would cross through from one side of the said embassy. It is relevant to note here that Diplomatic Enclave is a gated facility which houses a large numbers of embassies and foreign missions. However, its extension is due since a long time.

An engineer of the CDA, who is involved in construction of the said road project said that the civic agency in principle has decided to construct a new road. He said that the design of the road is being finalised.

It is relevant to note here, until 2016 around 33 embassies were operating in residential areas, in violation of CDA bylaws, despite possessing plots within the Diplomatic Enclave.

Out of them, 20 had their plots inside the enclave. Backed by the court’s directive, the CDA in 2016, swung into action and directed the embassies to discontinue operating in the residential area.

Following this, a number of embassies were shifted inside the enclave, however some are still operating in residential areas or outside the Diplomatic Enclave. CDA officials said after construction of new roads – the division between the old enclave and the extended area would end and more embassies/missions could be accommodated in the extended area. They said that the federal government had already directed the CDA to construct a new road.

“Once the design of the road is completed, we will go for approval of PC-I before calling tender. I guess, this project would be completed within a few months,” said an engineer of the CDA, adding that the layout plan with new roads and streets had been approved in 2007-8.

“There would be no issue of alignment of the new road. We have approved layout plan of the area, which marks alignment of new roads and streets,” the official said.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2022