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Construction of Margallah Avenue could not be termed as an encroachment on Margalla Hills National Park, because there is a provision of Margalla Avenue in Islamabad’s master plan, The Islamabad High Court Chief JusticeAthar Minallah observed.
After completion of ongoing Margalla Road Project, this road will see reduction in traffic as motorists coming from G.T. Road could use Margalla Road near Sangjani to enter the city.
The Chief Justice (IHC) passed the remarks while hearing a petition, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the Capital Development Authority (CDA) over construction of Margalla Avenue, which according to the petitioner disturbing national park area.
The IHC chief justice remarked that if the road is part of the master plan, then its construction could not be stopped.
MARGALLA Avenue, a road project currently under construction, is planned to start from Sangjani near the B17 sector on Grand Trunk (GT) Road, pass through the north of sectors C15, C14 and D13, and terminate at the northeastern end of D12 sector.
From D12, the traffic will use the service roads north and east of D12, the northern strip and service roads east of E11 to join with Khayaban-i-Iqbal, with several wedding halls on the right side of it.
CDA officials said that sizeable portion of the road has already been constructed and work is in progress to complete it by June.
The 35-km-long Margalla Road is part of Islamabad’s master plan. However, CDA has divided it in three phases. Under 1st phase, the road is being constructed from Sangjani area to sector D-12. While in the 2nd phase, Bhara Kahu bypass will be constructed and in future, the road from D-12 to close to Quaid-i-Azam university will be constructed.
Recently environment body objected to the alignment of under construction road, stating that a portion of road falls in the limit of national park area. However, in its response to environment body, CDA has been stating that a small portion of one kilometer falls in national park area, but under zoning regulation of 1992, the CDA could construct the road in the said portion as the master plan was prepared in 1960 and national park in 1979, the civic body said.
However, work on Bhara Kahu bypass has not been started as yet and facing delay testing the nerve of thousands of people who faced routine traffic jam on Murree Road near Bhara Kahu.
Islamabad 10th Avenue Road project tender to be floated next month
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