ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Friday summoned a report from Capital Development Authority (CDA) regarding blockage of passages by the foreign embassies in the residential areas of Islamabad.
Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany expressing annoyance remarked that nowhere in the world, except in Pakistan, it is allowed in the diplomatic enclaves to block the roads. He inquired who had allowed blocking the roads in the name of security. A two-member bench was hearing suo moto case on blockage of roads by some foreign missions in the federal capital. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja inquired from the CDA who had permitted them. He further questioned whether anywhere in the world land allotted for a specific purpose could be misused.
The court was informed that a Burge Factor Private Limited company in F-7/4 residential area was using the land for commercial purposes. The CDA had issued notice to the company. The company filed case against the CDA in the Islamabad High Court, which had dismissed it. The company owner then filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.
The CDA counsel also informed that according to the CDA rules in the federal capital, every land is allotted for specific objectives, adding the CDA administration has powers that it could relax the rules. The CDA had made rules for its own purposes.
Upon that Justice Jawwad remarked that it was in their knowledge that the CDA administration was like a kingdom but they did not know that laws had been made to protect it. The petitioner counsel argued that the CDA administration did not have powers to use the rules for his own likes and dislikes. However, the CDA lawyer said they have issued notices to 2000 persons for misusing the land.
The court has directed the CDA to submit detail report how many landowners have been issued notices since 2005 for misusing the land allotted to them, and what were its reasons. The CDA also provided the list of those persons who had requested the authority for relaxation of the rules and how many such applications were accepted and rejected.
The report should also include how the 2000 allottees were misusing the land.
On the query of the court, the CDA counsel informed that they had allowed a few embassies to block the passages. Justice Jawwad asked him to inform that in order to please their masters they had given special concession to some foreign missions. He asked the lawyer if they could not check them then the court would issue notices to them. He said in the missing persons case when the United Nations representative was summoned, he apologised.
The court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.