An official press release of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) pronounced that the authority has planned a groundbreaking series of initiatives aimed at transforming Islamabad into a model city for climate-friendly e-mobility. The CDA spokesperson highlighted the key projects, including the implementation of an automated car parking system, the introduction of electric buses, citywide tree-plantation drives, and the establishment of an extensive bicycle route network. These initiatives collectively aim to promote a greener, more sustainable transportation system while minimizing the city’s carbon footprint. As said, the CDA will construct an automated car parking system in collaboration with local banks to address longstanding parking issues in the federal capital.
Islamabad, the capital and model city of the country was once a symbol of beauty, cleanliness, civic life, and discipline city in South Asia. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) was raised as the autonomous authority empowered to architect, build, and maintain capital territory. Massive funds were funneled into the authority to facilitate its operations while the sale/purchase of government land was another source of income for the institution. Unfortunately, the federal capital fell prey to traditional bureaucratic corruption and social biases that not only shaped grave administrative issues but practically turned the city into a navel of problems and crimes like other backward towns and cities in the country. Today’s Islamabad faces chronic problems of encroachment, car parking, cleanliness, misuse of government resources, street crimes, and corruption of government employees that seriously spoil the quality of life and weaken the writ of the state.
Unfortunately, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has detracted from its actual role and task, while gradually getting involved in greed-driven corrupt practices that primarily do not fall into its domain but cunning bureaucrats intentionally pushed the institution into that haphazard because financial dividends attached to them. Previously, CDA authorities brought the idea of construction of a new state-of-the-art residential scheme for overseas Pakistanis at Mauza Kuri in the Federal Capital. The CDA high-ups told the nation that bulk dollars would be earned through the sale of plots to foreigners and the national exchequer would be filled with dearly needed foreign currency. Presently, the institution come up with another project consisting of a huge fleet of over 200 electric buses whose operation and maintenance would require billions of rupees of investment along with the induction of hundreds of staff that would surely offer enormous opportunities for kickbacks along with mobilizing bulk money with least contribution to the public fund.
Historically, all state-owned mass transit systems including Rawalpindi/Islamabad Metro, Lahore’s Orange, and Green Lines along with Peshawar BRT and Karachi Pink Transport services are not self-sufficient and profit-generating institutions but each of them needs billions of rupees in funding from the government on an annual basis to continue their operations.
Amid such bitter realities and ongoing fiscal challenges faced by the country, the Capital Development Authority and its top brass must review the plan for the launch of the e-bus service which would be a disastrous project for the institution as well as the government. The department must focus on the provision of essential services to the citizens whilst, automated car parking, construction of cycle routes, and tree plantation are genuine needs of the city. If the anti-corruption watchdog has no concern over the misconduct of government institutions and servants, the media will play the role of a whistle-blower and regulator through timely reporting, scholarly work, and sensation.
