Bill for administrative affairs of Gun and Country Club drafted, SC told

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination to ensure within six months, passage of bill from parliament regarding the management and administration of Gun and Country Club, Islamabad.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan heard a suo moto case regarding allotment of land worth billions by CDA to the Gun and Country Club, Islamabad, at a throwaway price. The court, while taking up an application filed on behalf of Management Committee of Gun & Country Club, directed the secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) to ensure passage of bill from the parliament in the matter within six months.

Naeem Bukhari, advocate, informed the court that a bill for running the administrative affairs of the club has been drafted and it will be soon passed from the parliament. Justice Umer Ata Bandial asked the counsel as to whether the club has paid all the utility bills of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and noted that due to non-payments of utility bills, the club was being defaulted.

Bukhari submitted that the CDA did not send utility bills of water, gas as well as electricity but demanded property tax from the management since 2004. If the court orders, they will pay the property tax worth Rs two crores 30 lacs, Bukhari submitted. Justice Umer Ata Bandial, however, observed that the court will not interfere in the financial matters of the club. Justice Bandial questioned as to whether forensic audit of the club had been conducted. The secretary IPC, however, submitted that the forensic audit had been conducted and the ministry has no objection over it.

Justice Umer Ata Bandial asked as to when the bill regarding administrative affairs of the club will be tabled and passed from the parliament. The secretary IPC replied that it may take a year to which Justice Bandial directed him to ensure it within six months. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the matter for date-in-office (Indefinite period).

The Gun and Country Club was established in 2002, at the foot of Shakarparian Hills, providing state-of-the-art rifle shooting facilities including indoor and outdoor ranges. It is located within the area allocated to the Pakistan Sports Complex, just minutes away from Zero Point. Advocate Naeem Bukhari had told the court that the club's executive committee wanted to bring an administrative structure through an Act of Parliament like that of the Islamabad Club.