ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench on Tuesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit within three days the report on the implementation of the court’s verdict – ordering the cancellation of land lease for the restaurant of an international food chain- in the F-9 Park.
The bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, was hearing the contempt-of-court petitions by former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senator Saadia Abbasi and others against the CDA.
The petitioners had contended that the civic agency was not implementing the apex court’s orders for the removal of commercial centres like McDonalds, Siza Foods (Pvt) Ltd and the Nazria-e-Pakistan Council building, from the F-9 Park, commonly known as Fatima Jinnah Park.
Dissatisfied: The court also directed the CDA to complete the process of re-leasing F-9 Park’s land within two months and submitting a report with SC. The apex court expressed dissatisfaction over a report submitted by the civic agency on the steps it took for the implementation of SC orders in the park’s case both in letter and spirit.
The court ordered the closure of the food outlet and directed CDA to take control of the place. Afnan Kundi, counsel for CDA, informed the court that its client had also been directed by the authorities concerned to take disciplinary action against seven of CDA’s officials for which he said recommendations had also been sought from the Law Ministry. He said the lease of the restaurant had been cancelled.
At this Justice Ramday questioned, “How can the restaurant’s building still be standing if the lease was cancelled?” The CJP noted that even after the cancellation of the lease, the land was still in possession of the restaurant owners, and thus other interested parties were showing no interest in getting its lease.
The defence lawyers requested the court to allow the food chain to keep possession of the restaurant until the process of leasing it to any other party was completed, as the food chain had spent a huge amount of money on the 5.25 acre land of the park.
At this, the CJP questioned, “If the judges start compromising on their own decisions, how would the system work?” Later the court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period.
