Islamabad-Fourteen persons, including a senator, are facing criminal proceedings for violating section 144 Cr.PC imposed by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration to check encroachments on the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA)’s land and new construction in Banigala area of the capital.
According to the sources in the CDA, the Authority has asked the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad to register cases against the 14 violators of section 144 Cr.PC who continued construction in the area despite a ban by the city administration.
The request comes in the wake of Supreme Court’s order to ban encroachments on CDA’s land and new construction in Banigala. According to the CDA officials, the said persons did not stop construction despite several notices by the CDA.
A letter to this effect was written by Director Environment (R) to the Deputy Commissioner on September 18, 2017. Senator Aurangzeb Orakzai, according to the sources in CDA, is among the 14 violators pointed out by the Authority officials as violators of section 144 Cr.PC. The letter said that the Supreme Court has imposed complete ban on such constructions in the area. Subsequently, the ICT administration also imposed section 144 in compliance of the SC directions, the letter further said.
The CDA has requested the district administration to register cases for violation of section 144 Cr.PC. The names of the offenders are Senator Aurangzeb, Havaldar Arif, Javed Khan son of Saif ud din, Bashir Khan, Adeel Rahim, owner of Farhan Heights, Abid Farooque, Raja Ishtiaq, Dr. Saeed, Subedar Khalid, Sohail Mustafa, owner of Iqbal Heights, Nayyar Dada and Asif. The illegal constructions are being carried out in the area of Mohra Jeejan, Main Banigala Road and near to Korang bridge.
In May 2017, a larger bench of the Islamabad High Court had also banned all kinds of construction activity in the scenic Banigala suburb, a major Rawal Lake catchment area.
While hearing a petition filed by Shahazada Sikandarul Mulk against the construction of the commercial building on a busy road in Banigala, IHC banned construction in the entire area. The petitioner had contended that constructing the commercial building would be hazardous to the locality’s environment. Rawal Lake and Banigala are included in National Park area.
According to the CDA officials, Rawal Lake with its surrounding area along with Bani Gala was included in National Park by the federal government through a notification on April 27, 1980.
According to the 1992 Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Zoning Regulations, no building can be constructed in Zone III and the Margalla Hills National Park. According to the CDA, construction in the Rawal Lake area violates the 1960 Pakistan Capital Regulation.
