ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been given a week to identify a site for an Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Model Industrial Zone under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

According to sources, the authority was given the deadline at a recent meeting chaired by Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Secretary Nargis Ghaloo that was attended by CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz and Board of Investment officials.

The said that CDA officials on Wednesday were focused primarily on the I-17 industrial sector, but the industrial triangle on Kahuta Road in Zone V is also under consideration.

Industry related to steel, food processing, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, printing and packaging and light engineering, among others, will be set up in the model industrial zone.

Sources said I-17 is the only industrial sector the CDA has available, as others such as I-9, I-10 and I-11 are already in mixed residential and industrial use, and I-12 has been converted to a residential sector.

`The CDA was given one week`s time to finalise land for the industrial zone. Industrial sector I-17 also came under discussion, as we already have zoning regulations for this sector. However, we are exploring some other sites,` CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz told Dawn.

He said a team led by the authority`s member planning was working on identifying a suitable site.

Member Planning Asad Kayani said: `Various options are being explored, with sector I-17 at the top of the list for setting up the industrial zone.

Mr Kayani said the CDA has to identify a site spread over at least 50 acres, but planning wing officials have suggested an entire sub-sector of I-17, in which 150 acres would be earmarked for the project. Sources said there is a chance the CDA will propose I-17 as the project site.

The sector was partially acquired by the authority in 20089, when it paid two property tycoons eight times the rate that they had originally paid for the land before leaving the process of acquiring the land from local residents unfinished.

The scandal was highlighted by the auditor general`s office this year, but action was not taken against CDA officials who had allegedly only begun the land acquisition process tobeneñtthe property tycoons.

The CDA had bought the land from two dealers for Rs800,000 per kanal, while the dealers had originally bought the land from locals for Rs100,000 per kanal. After paying the dealers, the CDA slowed down the acquisition process and has yet to compensate local residents, and thus does not have possession of the land.

`If I-17 is selected for the industrial zone, the CDA will have to get possession of the land from locals after clearing their dues and setting built-up property cases. Whereas or available land in the industrial triangle on Kahuta Road is also under the occupation of the land mafia,` a planning wing official said, adding that identifying undisputed land for the industrial zone would be a difficult task.

Under CPEC, nine economic zones will be set up in various parts of the country, including the ICT Model Industrial Zone, the China Special Economic Zone Dhabeji, Allama Iqbal Industrial City Faisalabad, Rashakai Economic Zone, Development of Industrial Park on Pakistan Steel Mills land at Port Qasim, Mirpur Special Economic Zone AJK, Mohmand Marble City and the Mogpondass Special Economic Zone Gilgit-Baltistan.