ISLAMABAD: Once celebrated for its serene environment and well-planned infrastructure, Sector G-8 is rapidly losing its charm due to the unchecked spread of encroachments. The area, once a peaceful residential neighborhood, has become congested and chaotic, with unauthorized car showrooms, vendors, and makeshift shops occupying public spaces.
The encroachments in G-8 are not just an eyesore but also create significant challenges related to law and order, traffic flow, and pedestrian safety. Footpaths originally designed for pedestrians are now occupied by illegal businesses, while streets are clogged with double-parked vehicles, leaving no room for residents to park their own cars. With the pavements overtaken by commercial activity, women, children, and the elderly are forced to walk on the roads, exposing them to constant safety risks.
Local residents have raised these concerns with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP), but the issue persists. While the CDA’s enforcement wing occasionally conducts operations, demolishing illegal structures and issuing warnings, the encroachments return within days, prompting suspicions of corruption within the CDA. Reports suggest that bribes are paid to allow these illegal businesses to resume after a brief crackdown.
The lack of consistent enforcement, compounded by a passive approach from the traffic police, has allowed the encroachments to proliferate unchecked. This contrasts sharply with the successful anti-encroachment efforts in Punjab cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, where authorities have reclaimed significant amounts of public land. In Islamabad, however, the absence of sustained action is a glaring issue, leaving G-8 residents to deal with the fallout of growing encroachments.
