A three-member Supreme Court bench on Wednesday directed the Housing Secretary Kamran Lashari to present complete record concerning illegal allotments of houses in the federal capital till October 14. The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez also directed Lashari to proceed against the corrupt officials. Expressing concern over the corruption in the Estate Office, the court observed that the officials, working their respective posts for a long time, should be transferred and replaced by honest people. The court also observed that no house was allotted lawfully, adding that the Estate Office had become a hub of corruption but promised to end corrupt practices.
The chief justice said most of the litigations in the federal capital were related to property and house allotment disputes. Secretary Kamran Lashari and Estate Officer Asim Ayub appeared before the court on notice. The chief justice asked the estate officer how an already allotted house was given to another person, adding that the affairs in the Estate Office were difficult to understand as allotments were being allotted in back dates.
Lashari informed the court that 1890 cases related to house allotments were pending in the Islamabad High Court and the subordinate judiciary, adding that 1,102 cases were pending only in the Islamabad district courts.
The court directed him to furnish the details of these cases as all matters related to house allotments would be disposed of according to the provisions and guidelines of National Judicial Policy enforced in 2009. Later, further hearing was adjourned till October 14.
