ISLAMABAD - The Ministry for Housing and Works on Friday informed the Islamabad High Court that it had taken back a notification, withdrawing allotment of government accommodations to judges of lower courts in the federal capital.
IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui took up the petition of 33 judges of the lower judiciary of Islamabad, who had challenged the government notification wherein it had withdrawn the allotment of official accommodation to them.
Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani and the housing secretary appeared before the court. Justice Siddiqui noted in his verdict: “Akram Khan Durrani, Minister for Housing and Works, submits that the impugned notification has already been withdrawn, however, some interpretation is required in respect of the judgment passed by my learned brother Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani. This court has to decide the issue permanently, let this matter be posted for 10-5-2018.”
The petitioners through their counsel Babar Saeed had cited the federation through secretary housing and works and others as respondents.
The petitioner had contended that they were eligible and entitled to the allotment of government accommodations and they were handed over the possession of the accommodations and a house rent allowance was also being deducted from their monthly salary. They had adopted on 28 March, the respondents without any reason or justification, issued a notification whereby the eligibility of the judicial officers for allotment of government accommodation was withdrawn.
They contended that it is the basic principle that all the stakeholders shall be taken into confidence/hearing may be given, however, before issuing the impugned notification, no such exercise was undertaken. They had maintained that necessary legal and procedural requirements and other conditions had not been met before the issuance of the impugned notification and the same was illegal, unlawful and unjustified.
They had requested that the respondents may be permanently restrained from taking any action, prejudicial to the interests, rights of the petitioners, in continuation of the impugned notification.