SC orders CDA to explain measures taken to remove hurdles
While taking up a case pertaining to security barriers outside foreign missions in various residential areas, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the civic agency to submit a detailed report regarding the steps they have taken to remove such hurdles.
Several foreign missions in Islamabad, other than the ones in the Diplomatic Enclave, have put up security barriers on roads and streets leading to their missions, thus inconveniencing citizens living in their surroundings.
When the Supreme Court division bench comprising Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Sarmad Jalal Usmani resumed hearing into the case on Friday, CDA counsel SA Rehman told the court that Foreign Ministry officials and CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal have held a round of meetings with representatives from such missions and asked them to remove such barriers.
When the CDA counsel said that some missions have cited serious security concerns to remove the hurdles, Justice Khawaja remarked that it should be assumed that the civic agency has accepted their unwarranted demands to let them operate while blocking roads and streets.
“If these foreign missions refuse to remove blockades, the CDA, on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, should tell them that our foreign missions in your countries also want to put in place barriers on roads to secure our missions, which have come under danger after the terrorist attacks in New York, Paris and Denmark,” remarked Justice Khawaja asking the CDA counsel if they will allow them do so.
The judge said that the French embassy may be asked to allow the Pakistan embassy in France to put up security barriers on a road outside its mission after several people were killed there recently. “They will not allow you to use an inch of extra space,” the judge remarked.
“Courts could do nothing if the hurdles were acceptable for the government and the civic agency, as we and people have become used to putting up blockades and encroachments,” remarked Justice Khawaja.
He said that the foreign missions should be dealt with under the rules of business and they should be shifted to the Diplomatic Enclave as they have already been allotted plots by the CDA. The judge told the CDA counsel that the civic agency must take action against such missions according to the law.
The CDA counsel said that chief protocol officers from these foreign missions have assured them that the blockades will be removed very soon.
He said that most hurdles and barriers have been removed from roads while only five roads were yet to be cleared of such barriers. He said that all stakeholders have agreed to sort out the issues amicably and law will take its course, as, according to him, there was a ban on illegal use of principal land and property.
The court while adjourning the matter till March 6, 2015, directed the CDA to submit a compliance report during the next hearing.