Encroachment case: IHC issues show cause notice to MoD secy, others

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) gave 4 weeks to the Ministry of Defence and other relevant institutions to remove encroachments from a federal capital road.

As Ministry of Defence secretary legal and three officials of a security organisation failed sign the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order sheet as per their commitment, IHC’s Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Tuesday issued show cause notices to all the four of asking why contempt of court proceedings may not be initiated against them.

Meanwhile, Justice Siddiqui directed Ministry of Defence secretary and head of the security organization to personally appear before the court today (Wednesday).

IHC bench was hearing into the petitions against encroachments in Islamabad where a particular matter was also taken up regarding encroachment of 40 kanal of land at a road and greenbelt in Islamabad. On June 29, IHC directed Ministry of Defence secretary and others to appear in person while the two institutions then filed civil miscellaneous applications (CMAs) seeking exemptions for the two high profile government officials from personal appearance. Earlier, when court started its hearing into the CMAs, it conditionally allowed the applications after Ministry of Defence and other officials made a statement that they would vacate the road within 4 to 6 weeks.

IHC bench then asked the officials including Ministry of Defence director legal and others to sign the order sheet endorsing the statement they made. However all four of them did not sign the order sheet. At this Justice Siddiqui issued show cause notices to the four officials and also directed them to personally appear before the court today (Wednesday).

Earlier, while hearing into the CMAs where they had been asking for exemptions, Justice Siddiqui had remarked that the organisation should arrange for its protection within the limits of the building and not beyond.

On June 29, IHC bench also directed TV channels operating from the residential areas to shift their operations to commercial areas till August 1 as using residential areas for commercial activities is non-conforming use of the property.