Hearing a suo motu case against illegal use of agriculture farmlands in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to carry out a comprehensive survey of all such farmlands and submit a report within a month.
A three-member Supreme Court bench of Justice Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim said it would form a commission after receiving the survey report. The court said strict legal action would be taken against CDA if it was found involved in the use of agro farmlands for commercial activities.
The court directed CDA to submit the rules and regulations about the agro farmlands. Appearing on notice, CDA’s lawyer Ramzan Chaudhry presented a preliminary report on the matter, saying strict action has been taken against the owners of agro farms who had set up marriage halls at their premises.
To a court query, he said all marriage halls set up on agro farmlands had been shut down and their cases were sent to the Islamabad deputy commissioner, who imposed Rs 0.5 million fine on each of the owner.
