Islamabad: A proposed change in the layout plan of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) scheme at Kuri Road has sparked concern among residents and allottees, who fear it will damage the green character of the neighbourhood.
The revised plan, forwarded by the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), calls for the creation of over 20 additional residential plots and relocation of 13 existing ones. The scheme, launched in 2012 for federal government officers of BPS-20 to BPS-22, was originally designed with dedicated greenbelts, parks, and playgrounds.
Residents, many of them retired senior bureaucrats, argue that carving out new plots on land reserved for public spaces would be a violation of environmental laws as well as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They have appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to halt the proposal, terming it contrary to his government’s environmental commitments, including the slogan “One daughter, one shajr.”
“We strongly object to the creation of additional houses on land meant for parks and greenbelts,” the residents said in a statement, warning that the move would harm the environment and reduce the quality of life in the community.
According to a public notice posted by CDA on August 11, objections have been invited from residents and stakeholders on the revised layout plan. Officials said the case is currently under review.
This is not the first attempt to alter the plan. In 2018, a similar proposal to carve out 40 additional plots was shelved after residents raised the issue with the Wafaqi Mohtasib and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Residents now fear the new attempt may go ahead unless higher authorities intervene, warning it would set a precedent for encroachments on community green spaces.
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