SC gives Imran Khan week’s time to cough up Bani Gala documents

–CJP says court more troubled with public health aspect of the case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday gave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan one week to furnish a response on the documents related to his Bani Gala estate that have been submitted in the apex court.

On Wednesday, Mohammad Umar, a former Bara Kahu union council official, claimed in the Supreme Court that the no-objection certificate submitted in court by Imran related to his Bana Gala residence was never issued by the authority. However, the PTI denied the allegations.

The CJP while hearing the case regarding encroachments and environmental degradation in Bani Gala, observed that the court was more troubled with the public health aspect of the case. He asserted that they do not want the public to use and consume hazardous water.

Addressing Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) State Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the CJP asked the minister is he had assessed and surveyed water filtration in the locality.

The court was informed by the attorney general that a film will be made with the help of a drone and submitted to the court.

Further on in the hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel negated media reports of the PTI chief’s Bani Gala residence as an illegal construction. The CJP responded by directing the counsel to state this outside the court.

Nisar pointed out that the documents were released to the media before being submitted to the court.

Last year, the apex court was informed of over a hundred illegal structures, including the PTI chief’s residence in Bani Gala by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). On the February 22 hearing, Imran’s counsel in lieu of the court’s directions had submitted Bani Gala estate’s building plans.