ISLAMABAD   -  The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday issued notices to Capital Development Authority (CDA), district administration and other respondents in a petition filed against encroachments in the areas of Bhara Kahu and Murree Road.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Babar Sattar also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA), the CDA and district administration to submit their reply in this matter and deferred the hearing till February 18.

The IHC bench issued these directions in a petition filed by a trader Raja Shahid Mehmood through his counsel Chaudhary Kashif Gujjar Advocate. In his petition, he cited CDA, NHA, Metropolitan Corporation (MCI), Chief Commissioner and Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad police as respondents.

He stated that there are more than 1,000 shops/ business units in Moti Bazar, Bhara Kahu and other adjoining areas including Simli Dam Road and Athal Chowk where the traders are doing different businesses. 

However, he added that the landlords/ plaza owners used to illegally rent out the premises in front of their plazas to get wrongful financial gain on the land/ road belonging to CDA and NHA. 

Moreover, he said that due to hundreds of illegal stall holders, hand-cart holders and encroachment by the plaza owners, the main Athal Chowk got stuck for pedestrians and for vehicular traffic as well. 

The petitioner told the court that due to the said illegal encroachments by the landlords, illegal stall holders and hand-carts, both the Simli Dam Road and main Murree Road got chocked due to which the customers remained unable to visit Moti Bazaar resulting in financial loss to the business community of the area.

He continued that due to the said blockage, a large number of people have lost their lives as sometimes it took hours to pass through the said junction of the Simli Dam Road and Murree Road at Athal Chowk.

Therefore, he prayed to the court to accept his petition by issuing strict directions to the respondents to remove the illegal encroachments, stall holders, hand-cart holders from the aforementioned areas.