- Apex court says it’s not satisfied with survey department’s performance
- Official says Rawalpindi Revenue Department ignored requests for provision of required record
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday resumed the hearing of a case pertaining to the illegal encroachments in the Bani Gala vicinity, saying this case will be a “test for Imran as he is about to form the government soon”.
As the hearing went underway, CJP Nisar observed that “the apex court was not satisfied with the performance of the survey department”.
“Survey of Pakistan has not completed the task of surveying the federal capital and covering the drain,” said the CJP.
Survey of Pakistan senior official Akhtar Jamil Rao informed the court that the Rawalpindi Revenue Department did not provide them records and maps of the area which had hampered completion of the task.
Expressing his displeasure with the performance of the revenue department, Justice Nisar ordered the department to immediately make the required documents available.
“We will take action against the department in case of non-cooperation. The revenue department has not taken the court’s orders seriously,” he said, adding, that “the revenue department employees will not leave the apex court premises until the survey department is provided with the record they need”.
The top judge further noted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, whose party bagged the most votes in the National Assembly in the recently held polls, had petitioned the court to take up the encroachments case.
“Imran Khan is about to form the government and he is likely to take up this matter. He will become an example for the people and this case will be a test for Imran,” Justice Nisar remarked during the proceedings.
The additional attorney general then requested the incoming government to decide on the case.
“Section-144 has been imposed in Bani Gala. It is suggested that the incoming government look into the matter.”
The hearing was then adjourned till completion of the survey.
Earlier, the apex court had granted additional 45 days to complete the survey.
It was reported that Deputy Surveyor General Noor Illahi apprised the court that “4.5 kilometres of the covering drain had been surveyed, however, 17.5 kilometres of the area was still pending”.
“The survey of covering drain and federal capital is extremely important but the court will not grant any more time than it already has to complete the task,” the chief justice had noted.
THE CASE:
On February 28, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Nayyar Rizvi while submitting a report in the SC had said that he could not verify the no-objection certificate (NOC) submitted by the PTI chairman for the construction of his residence in the federal capital.
In 2017, the apex court was informed of over a hundred illegal structures, including the PTI chief’s residence in Bani Gala by the CDA. On the February 22 hearing, Imran’s counsel in lieu of the court’s directions had submitted Bani Gala estate’s building plans.
[…] Source: Pakistan Today […]
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