Expanded cinema: Safa Gold Mall’s petition dismissed

Justice Aamer Farooq dismissed the petition observing that the mall did not obtain a completion certificate from CDA

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court dismissed on Wednesday a petition related to the alleged violation of building codes in the construction of a cinema house at the Safa Gold Mall in Setor F-7.

Justice Aamer Farooq dismissed the petition observing that the mall did not obtain a completion certificate from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and there were factual errors in its petition.

In 2012, the CDA had allowed the construction of the cinema at the mall but the civic agency directed the management of the mall to suspend the project in April 2015. The management, however, filed a petition with the high court after which an initial hearing suspended the CDA order.

Challenging the suspension of its order, the CDA submitted a reply to the court saying the management of the mall in connivance with some CDA officials had made changes in the approved plan for the construction of the cinema which caused losses loss to the authority.

The management of the mall maintained before the court that they were ‘condemned unheard’ as no opportunity of hearing was granted to the company before canceling the approval of the cinema.

The CDA counsel said the mall had the approval of the cinema but they wanted to increase the covered area which was against the approved plan and a violation of their by-laws.

The court dismissed the petition after the counsels concluded their arguments.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2015.