Islamabad Encroachment Drive Will Spare No One, Says Talal

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said the Islamabad encroachment drive will continue regardless of political influence, after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) served a notice at the Islamabad residence of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Speaking in a televised address on Saturday, Chaudhry questioned the legality of a security cabin and a generator at the residence, and said defending encroachments was inappropriate.

“There will be no encroachments of any kind, and there will be zero tolerance for this,” Chaudhry said. He added that the campaign had run for more than 18 months, with notices in every other street.

What the Islamabad encroachment drive covers

The CDA issued its notice at Fazl’s residence on Friday, identifying illegal constructions and encroachments on its land and directing their removal within 15 days. The notice went in routine to Amanullah, the residence owner. It covered a four-by-four security cabin, which he called a cage-like structure, and a generator kept in the public path or on government land.

Neighbours in the upscale area had received similar notices and complied with them, he said. “But because Maulana is living here,” he said, the thought seemed to be that the same illegal construction would be protected. He called that highly inappropriate, and asked why permission was not taken for constructions running to thousands of square feet. No notice was issued for anything built lawfully, he added.

He also rejected the suggestion that oppression was being done to Fazl, saying action had been taken against everyone in Islamabad, rich or poor, powerful or not. “Action was taken against all,” he said.

Chaudhry also cited action elsewhere in the capital. He said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had demolished a police station on government land and partly on a green belt a day earlier, and that the Frontier Corps had vacated a park it occupied for several decades. Property was vacated behind the Prime Minister’s House, and illegal petrol pumps and marriage halls were removed along the Expressway.

“So this operation will continue,” he said, whether the house belonged to some Amanullah or was home to some very big leader or very powerful people. “This will absolutely continue,” he said.

Why the Fazl residence notice matters

The notice came amid a war of words between the government and Fazl, who had criticised what he described as the government’s misuse of the Constitution. Federal ministers hit back, accusing him of overlooking his own role in forming and toppling governments. Fazl’s son and JUI-F leader Maulana Asjad Mahmood described the CDA action as retaliatory, and linked it to his father’s political differences with the government.

Chaudhry also claimed Fazl had occupied a road in Peshawar. “Why would we, in the name of religion, continue this illegal occupation?” he asked. He also questioned a building named after Fazl’s father, and whether blocking the path beside it was legal. “In our religion, there is talk of opening paths, not of blocking paths,” he said.

He added that a leader who is both political and religious carries greater responsibility than an ordinary man, and said Fazl answered the interior minister’s legal questions with a personal attack on Naqvi instead. “Personal attacks are made only by those who have no answers to questions, who have no answer to the real matter,” he said.

What happens next

Frequently asked questions

What did Talal Chaudhry say about the Islamabad encroachment drive?

The drive will continue regardless of political influence, with zero tolerance. The campaign has run for more than 18 months.

What does the CDA notice at Fazlur Rehman’s residence cover?

Issued on Friday, it directs the removal of illegal constructions and encroachments on CDA land within 15 days, covering a four-by-four security cabin and a generator.

How has the JUI-F responded to the notice?

Fazl’s son Asjad Mahmood called it retaliatory, linking it to his father’s political differences with the government.

What happens when the 15 days run out?

The notice gives 15 days for removal. Chaudhry has said the operation will continue for ordinary residents and powerful figures alike.