SC to housing ministry: Get govt residences vacated of illegal occupants or else

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday gave last chance to Ministry of Housing for clearing the official residences from illegal occupation and warned strict action against the officials if they failed to implement its order in letter and spirit.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard a case relating to irregularities in allotment of official residences.

The court expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the Ministry of Housing and directed that a comprehensive report signed by Secretary of the Ministry be submitted on the next date of hearing.

During the hearing, the court observed that its order for vacating all the official residences from illegal occupation was not implemented by the Housing Ministry in letter and spirit.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed observed that officials having their personal houses used to allot government residence adding that most of the officials after allotting the official residences have rented it out on high fare.

The report submitted by the Ministry of Housing is based on lies”, CJP remarked.

Additional Secretary Housing Zahoor Ahmed, however, claimed that the report has been submitted before the court after conducting verification of every house. The official informed that they have started departmental action after clearing 52 houses of illegal occupation.

The Additional Secretary further told the court that some 48 teams had been constituted for inspection of official residences.

“But still official residences have been illegally occupied by the private people”, Chief Justice observed adding that they have been receiving complaints regarding the Housing Ministry.

The chief justice asked the official to immediately clear the official residences from illegal occupation by launching a crackdown through police.