Imran’s Bani Gala house: ‘Phoney’ permission that built a mansion

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) was informed on Wednesday that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) submitted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan regarding his Banigala residence construction was fake and had never been issued by the authority concerned.

Muhammad Umar, former secretary of the union council in Bhara Kahu, in his reply to the apex court claimed that the said NOC pertaining to the Banigala residence of the PTI chairman had never been issued by the said Union Council.

He further submitted that the NOC, which was provided to the court dates back to 2003, when he was posted as a secretary at the union council office. The former secretary Union Council Bhara Kahu contended that the NOC is a computerised copy whereas the union council at that time had no computer systems and work was done manually

Umar further claimed that the blueprint for the residence was also fake, saying the union council had asked Imran to submit a blueprint for go-ahead but it had never been submitted.

Similarly Muhammad Yaqoob, former chairman Union Council Bhara Kahu though verified his signature put on the NOC but said that someone had got the paper signed from his office and thenprepared the draft on which his real name was not written.

“As per my knowledge PTI Chairman Imran Khan had purchased the Banigala land after 2002 and neither had I approved the map for Khan’s house nor had I issued any NOC”, Muhammad Yaqoob submitted.

Similarly, Additional Deputy Commissioner Islamabad while submitting his report in the Supreme Court regarding construction of Imran Khan’s Banigala residence, stating that although some 300 kanals of land was purchased in 2002 in Banigala in the name of Jemima Khan but no NOC was taken from Ministry of Interior.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had declared the construction of the PTI chairman's house illegal in a hearing on May 9, 2017. A report was submitted by CDA in Supreme Court which stated that the authority had declared 122 buildings illegal which included Imran Khan’s Banigala residence.

It said that the construction was against the regulations of Islamabad Capital Territory. The court while taking up the matter on February 13, 2018, summoned property documents of the Banigala residence from the CDA.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had warned that the residential structures in Banigala would be demolished if they were not as per the laws and regulations of the CDA.

The Chief Justice had stressed that building regulations must be abode by. However, Babar Awan, counsel for PTI Chairman Imran Khan had submitted that the civic body had no authority over private properties, adding that the constructions around Rawal Dam were illegal.

On last hearing held on February 22, the court directed the CDA to verify within a week, the documents pertaining to maps of Banigala residence construction of Imran Khan and submit compliance report.

During the course of hearing, Babar Awan had produced before the court, documents of Banigala residence. The learned counsel had informed the court that NOC for the construction of house was issued in 1990 by the Bhara Kahu Union Council, adding that his client had made the payment of fee for the land in 2002 besides submitting the map with the Union Council for the construction of house at 250 acres of land for which the authorities issued certificate in 2003.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar however, had asked as to whether the map for construction of the said house was approved as required under the law, saying when the construction was completed, the authorities had examined as to whether construction was made as per the map approved.

Additional Attorney General however, submitted that they could inform the court after checking with the record. The court observed that it would first verify the documents relating to Mr Khan’s house map.

Meanwhile, responding to allegations of illegal construction by Imran Khan, the PTI secretary information tweeted on Wednesday that Imran was doing a Jehad as it was not easy to do opposition politics. He said when Imran purchased land in Banigala, it was deserted mountain of Islamabad with no gas or electricity. “Now 14, 15 years after the construction, the deputy commissioner office has learnt that Imran Khan has no NOC,” he said.