ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing of a suo moto case with regard to illegal allotment of 26.5-kanal plot to Hamid Yar Hirraj, currently Chairman of Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, at Diplomatic Enclave till January 15. The court also allowed Hamid Yar Hirraj for hiring his counsel and submitting comprehensive reply on this matter. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing the suo moto case stating that CDA has allotted a plot measuring 26.5 kanal to Hamid Yar Hirraj for a school in the Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad in violation of the rules and policy in December 2007, when he was working as Minister of State. During the hearing, Naeem Bokhari Advocate stated that his client Shabnam Ashraf had already challenged that allotment of land to Hamid Yar Hirraj in a high court. He also mentioned that this was an allotment based on favouritism and that the CDA had deliberately changed the Capitals master plan, and after receiving nominal dues, CDA had allotted lucrative plot in Diplomatic Enclave to MNA Hamid Yar Hirraj. He further told that aforesaid MNA was operating a school in Multan but his school was never inspected. Naeem Bokhari, the counsel for Shabnum Ashraf, told the court that CDA did not advertise the plot that was allotted to Himid Yar. He said that the Hirrajs application was considered after due time. CDA received five applications throughout the country while 46 applications were received from Islamabad for this purpose, he maintained. He pleaded that either the court should ask the Islamabad High Court to transfer the record of this case or refer this matter to the IHC. Hamid Yar Hirraj appeared before the court and stated that he has decided not to construct his school on this land till the decision of the court, adding that he had already paid Rs40 millions to CDA for the plot. He alleged that Shabnum Ashraf was operating a school illegally on 4-acre land of CDA in the Diplomatic Enclave near his 2-acre plot allotted for school by CDA. He further revealed that his rival even did not pay a single penny against that plot. Naeem Bokhari confessed before the court that Shabnum had occupied a football ground near the school but, he said, when CDA would ask she would vacate that ground. He requested the court to give him sometime for submitting comprehensive reply on this case. Meanwhile, Afnaan Kundi, counsel for CDA also prayed for time for the preparation of this case. Afnan Kundi submitted before the court that CDA was ready to resolve the controversy if two parties negotiated with each other. The court observed that it was not a deal but a matter of transparency so therefore plot must be allotted on merit. The court directed them to submit their reply and adjourned the hearing until January 15. According to telecast of a private TV Channel, on which the Supreme Court had taken suo moto on the reports suggesting that the master plan of Islamabad had been altered without prior approval of the Cabinet and 37-kanals plot had been changed into 19-kanal plot. Thereafter, 19-kanal land worth billions of rupees has been allotted to Hirraj at Rs71.632 million, whereas 18-kanal land has been given for school in the name of green belt. The telecast stated that the school could not be constructed within the prescribed limit of 30-month time. Besides, the advertisement given by the CDA was just for the owners of the private schools situated in Islamabad and owners of the private schools of other places were not eligible for it. The Diplomatic Enclave was not included in the advertisement, either, it further stated. However, the ERRA Chairman obtained the plot in the name of his relative who runs a private school at Multan. It was also alleged that initially a list of allotment was completed and thereafter, Hirraj, using his influence got the same plot allotted in the name of his relative in violation of laid down rules and procedures.