The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chair to provide the names of the officials who violated the apex court’s order and commenced the crushing of stones in National Park. The SC also demanded to know what action is being taken against the culprits.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja heard a petition filed by Israr Ahmed and others, seeking initiation of contempt of court proceeding against the CDA chairman and others for violating the court’s order, as well as CDA laws.
Advocate Nayyab Hassan Gardezi revealed in the court that Major (Retd) Muhammad Naeem Shafi of the FACTO Cement Limited Sangjani had filed an FIR on April 12, 2013, that 13 unknown gunmen looted a huge amount of explosives and detonating material that could destroy any major area of the city.
The gunmen took two 44 bore rifles, double barrel, pump action, five cell phones, seven thousand in cash, walky-talky sets, 3, 000 litres of fuel-cards, safety fuse 500 meters, 701 plain detonators and 1300 display relays with them.
“It is a matter of concern for us that an important national asset is not being preserved by the authorities concerned despite the fact that the court had strictly restrained the CDA from carrying out any prohibited activity in the National Park,” Justice Jawwad remarked.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by ex-CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in a suo moto case pertaining to Margalla Tunnel on October 25, 2013 had restrained the CDA and National Highway Authority from undertaking construction work on the Margalla Hills.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja further said that the CDA, the guard of the park, is destroying it, adding that the entire area is part of the National Park and they would file a criminal case. He asked the CDA chairman to explain why no action is being taken against those responsible, saying that corruption is in every sub-department of the authority.
The petitioner Israr Ahmed and others through Advocate Nayyab Hassan Gardezi moved the apex court, complaining that instead of acting on the apex court’s order in letter and spirit, the respondents, including the CDA chairman, joined hands with each other, and allowed the CDA director environment, and FACTO Managing Director Jawad Saboor to excavate lime stone/crushing of stone, which is resulting in the destruction of the park which is supposed to be preserved by the government under the Protection, Preservation and Management Ordinance, 1979.
They further informed the court that as a result the features, rock, soil, fauna and flora of the park are being destroyed due to the process of making cement by the FACTO Cement Factory, while dangerous diseases like tuberculosis, cancer, and asthma and skin allergy have cropped up among the people of the vicinity.