The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Yaseen Farooq to arrest police officials guilty of reoccupying eight flats which had been vacated on the IHC’s orders.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui also ordered the SSP to lodge a First Investigation Report (FIR) under Section 452 against the eight officials and the estate officer, who allegedly helped them reoccupy eight out of 55 vacated flats.
The flats had been constructed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for Rs 105 million in Sector G-6/1.
Earlier during the October 2005 Kashmir earthquake, victims were temporarily sheltered in the flats. Later in 2007, the policemen occupied them shortly before the Lal Masjid operation.
Justice Siddiqui said corruption was rampant in the Estate Office. He added that the police and estate officials’ attempts to mislead the court were intolerable and contempt of court proceedings will be initiated against them.
He also expressed displeasure over Inspector Haq Nawaz’s report that police officials had vacated 55 flats on the court orders, however, the additional registrar informed the judge that eight flats had been reoccupied.
Siddiqui remarked that such behaviour by the police did not bode well for the country’s law and order situation.
In an earlier hearing, the court had observed that the vacated flats would be handed over to legitimate applicants as per the General Waiting List and Estate Office rules.
