Islamabad-The Islamabad High Court will conduct a hearing of the matter related to encroachments and non-conforming use of residential buildings in the federal capital in the current week. A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will conduct hearing of the matter related to encroachments and non-conforming use of residential buildings.
Previously, Justice Siddiqui had condemned the act of lawyers encroaching upon the football ground in F-8 Markaz and directed them to remove illegal constructions from the area within a month.
He had termed it “totally illegal, unconstitutional, against the moral values and code of conduct”.
In this matter, the petition was filed against lawyers last year when the area was allegedly encroached for the construction of law chambers. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the issue after the issue raised in media and asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman to take prompt action against the culprits. However, the leadership of the accused lawyers decided to take the matter before the Islamabad High Court. The representatives of the lawyers requested the court to grant one month time so that they could come up with a strategy with regard to getting the football ground cleared up. The court granted them one month time and later, deferred the hearing till October 10 for further proceedings.
Justice Siddiqui noted in his order, “It is expected that by showing maximum responsibility and by realizing the grace of profession, the representatives of lawyers and lawyers themselves shall come up with a positive response, so that any uncalled-for situation may be avoided”. In his order, Justice Siddiqui also took notice of media houses operating in residential areas.
The bench showed annoyance over the issue as the court had already given time to them of first August to vacate the premises but to no avail. He said that despite the lapse of almost 40 days, needful was not done, which was nothing but an attempt to undermine the authority of the court.