The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted stay and issued notices to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman and others after hearing a plea against the allotment of plots by the CDA on a green belt in Sector F/11,
A single bench of Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan heard three identical petitions filed by residents of Sector F-11/2 against the “illegal” allotment of plots on a green belt and open space. Making the CDA chairman, the CDA planning director, the International Energy Services Company (IESCO) enforcement director, the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency chief executive, and the green belt allottees respondents, the petitioners challenged the allotment of green belts to CDA employees. Petitioners Anwarul Haque, Abdul Aziz Sheikh and Naseemul Zafar contended before the court that they purchased their plots at a high price in Sector F/11-2 because of the open space and green area in the vicinity.
They submitted that Sector F/11 was developed in accordance with a master plan under the CDA, who were now trying to go against this original plan by creating small plots measuring 25 yards by 50 yards on the green areas. The petitioners further maintained that the CDA bosses had created plots in the said area before, in 2006. However, having had to face massive protest by the inhabitants of the area, it had abandoned the project. “Now once again, by employing fraudulent tactics, the CDA chairman and planning director have created new plots (plot no 269 and 286-E each measuring 500 square yards and plot no 286-E1 and 383-A measuring 30 by 70 on the same open green area on which the smaller sized plots were previously created,” the petition said.
The counsel for the petitioners told the court that the said act of the CDA bosses was clearly unlawful and against the Islamabad Land Disposal Regulations 2005 and went against article 4, 9, 23 and 25 of the constitution. He requested the court that the CDA chairman and planning members be directed to cancel the allotment of the said plots and the allottees be directed to stop all construction. The judge directed the respondents to maintain the status quo of the said land. The court also issued notices to respondents to submit their replies on the issue.
