- ‘140 apartments in G-6 have been illegally occupied by police officials’
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar on Wednesday said that the paramilitary rangers would be called in if illegally occupied government residences in the federal capital were not evacuated within one month.
A two-member Supreme Court bench, headed by the chief justice, was hearing the case pertaining to illegal occupation of the government residences. Additional Attorney General Nayyar Rizvi informed the bench that 140 apartments in G-6 sector have been illegally occupied by the police officials.
He said that the rent amounting to Rs350 million was still unpaid. Rizvi said that if the rent was received, it would be donated for the construction of the dams. He said that both electricity and gas supplies were disconnected as per the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order.
However, the Supreme Court’s evacuation orders are yet to be implemented five years after they were issued, he said. “What is the fault of those who are waiting [to get official residences,” the chief justice questioned. “We have been unable to evacuate the flats because of a shortage of manpower,” said Dr Imran Zeb Khan, secretary of the Housing and Works.
The hearing was adjourned till August 31. On July 6, the top court had ordered the relevant authorities to evacuate illegally allotted houses within three weeks. During the hearing, the chief justice had asked about a journalist who has been living in a government residence in F-6 sector. The secretary responded that the journalist had been issued a notice for vacating the house.
The chief justice had inquired why the house was allotted to the journalist’s wife and how was she eligible, further asking why the authorities concerned did not work under the law and how could police officials illegally occupy over 200 houses. The attorney general informed the court that more than 543 houses were illegally occupied currently.
