Meaningful anti-encroachment drive ordered

Islamabad : A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, ACJ, and comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar, and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, in its order issued on Friday in a case directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) and the National Highway Authority (NHA) to take meaningful action against encroachers on public lands.

Reacting to the reports submitted by the CDA, the MCI and the NHA in a case about anti-encroachment operations by the CDA, the MCI and the NHA, the honorable bench observed: “. . . we find that these are very unsatisfactory in that they have only done cosmetic work while the actual illegal constructions and encroachments have not been removed, more so, from the service roads etc.

“The city administration is required to work to get rid of illegal buildings and encroachments from the city and clearing of all roads and providing of proper play grounds, parks and other amenities to the residents of Islamabad,” the judgment read.

The three-member Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its six-page order handed down clear directions to the CDA, the MCI and the NHA to immediately launch substantial actions against all kinds of encroachments on public land all over the city and along the highways.

The Honorable Bench also directed the heads of the three organisations to take tangible measures within one month’s time and submit the progress reports before the Bench on the next date of hearing.