The operation was carried out on the directives of the Supreme Court. PHOTOS: WASEEM NAZIR/EXPRESS
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday launched a crackdown against the offices of political parties working out of residential units in violation of the land use laws.
The civic agency sealed the offices of PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and PML-Q while also lodging a complaint for the registration of FIR against security personnel deputed at the PPP office in Sector G-6/4 for resisting CDA staff.
Interestingly, when the enforcement team reached the central secretariat of the ruling PML-N — located in a residential part of Sector F-8 — the office was already closed and had a notice posted on the gate reading, “This office has been closed in light of Supreme Court orders”.
The CDA had been taking action against zoning violations after being to do so by the apex court.
All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) had voluntarily removed violations by closing their offices.
Zardari House spared?
The CDA claims that Zardari House — the PPP’s party office — also voluntarily addressed violations. Zardari House is located in Sector F-8.
Sources claimed that the real reason was the presence of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the premises. The sources added that verbal assurances had been received from a PPP leader and the violations were voluntarily removed soon after.
Zardari met several party office bearers at the house over the last two days, before leaving the capital on Tuesday.
PPP Islamabad President Faisal Sakhi Butt told The Express Tribune that Zardari House was not a party office. “It is the residence of President Zardari and not a party office.” He said the party’s designated office was in G-6, adding that CDA staff had gone there a day earlier.
“It is regrettable that the political parties, which make laws, break them by not honouring them,” Supreme Court Justice Faisal Arab was quoted as saying in the December 23 hearing of a case related to non-conforming use of residential units in Islamabad.
These remarks came after the CDA counsel informed the apex court that mainstream political parties were also among violators of land use laws. The civic agency had told the court that it had previously imposed fines on the PML-N, PTI and PML-Q for such violations.
On the other hand, the CDA on Tuesday said that a total of 93 premises had been sealed during the ongoing drive against non-conforming use, while the owners of 125 houses had voluntarily addressed violation at their respective properties.
Hundreds of properties across the capital Islamabad are still violating land use laws.
Shujaat slams CDA
PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain came down hard on the CDA following Tuesday’s action. While demanding an immediate halt to the ongoing operation, he dubbed the action as a “foolish act”.
In a statement issued by the PML-Q media wing, the former prime minister argues that the houses of all federal ministers and MPs living in Islamabad should also be sealed as political activities were also being carried out there.
The statement said some 60 per cent of the residential units were being used for commercial purposes in the city. He also said that the civic authority had never taken any action against foreign missions flouting its land use regulations.
He said the government should address genuine problems facing the country instead of “such stupid acts” against political parties.
The CDA claims to have previously written to the foreign office address complaints against embassies as their violations fall beyond the civic agency’s ambit.
Under the law, offices are not allowed to function in residential areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2016.
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