Imran's Bani Gala residence declared illegal

CDA tells apex court that 122 illegal constructions in Bani Gala include portion of PTI chief’s residence itself

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s bid to rid Bani Gala of encroachments backfired on Tuesday when the Supreme Court was informed that 122 illegal constructions in the area included a portion of Khan’s 300 kanal residence itself.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration submitted a two-page report, along with a list of 122 illegal constructions, in response to the apex court’s April 24 order in a suo motu case of municipal lawlessness in Bani Gala, Islamabad.

The notice was taken on a complaint by Khan himself, highlighting large-scale encroachment on the botanical garden and the park in Bani Gala going on unchecked. The park is not only shrinking in size but is also subjected to massive cutting of trees, threatening the wellbeing of future generations, especially since Pakistan is one of the worst victims of global warming, the complaint by the PTI chief stated.



It mentioned “unplanned and unregulated multi-story plazas cropping up across Bani Gala with no sewerage and waste disposal systems in place or being planned”. No building codes and regulations are being enforced, it said, expressing apprehensions that if left unchecked, all the refuse from the buildings will find its way into Rawal Lake, which stores drinking water for the inhabitants of Rawalpindi.

Apparently, the CDA has chosen to ignore all these construction transgressions, creating another source for environmental pollution that already besets in the form of plastic bags and garbage lining roads and city streets, the complaint read.

Meanwhile, the two-page report submitted before the top court by the CDA and the ICT administration states that the CDA has conducted a survey on the illegal commercial buildings constructed in Bani Gala, wherein it is found that 122 illegal and unauthorised buildings exist which are either under construction or the structure work has been completed. As per ICT Zone Regulations, this construction is unauthorised, requiring demolishing.



As regards the refuse and waste disposal management of sewage, the report says that the buildings constructed either in Zone-III or Zone-IV (Bani Gala area) are in violation of the ICT (Zoning) Regulation 1992. “Therefore, conservancy services, including garbage collection and sanity sewerage system cannot be provided by the CDA as per law. The occupants are not taking any measures to prevent refuse and garbage, causing pollution, contamination and environmental hazards.”

The report recommends that punitive action should be taken by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency against the polluters.

Regarding the cutting of trees within the botanical garden and the National Park Area in Bani Gala, the report says that Section 144 has been imposed on illegal cutting of trees, and first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged under Section 188 PPC, whereby 19 persons have been arrested in the last two weeks.



And for the construction of a wall around the zoo-cum-botanical garden, measuring 583 acres, the Ministry of Climate Change is taking steps as directed by the prime minister, according to the report.

It goes on to say that the CDA, in collaboration with the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, is in the process of setting up a special laboratory in the planning wing for aerial monitoring of unauthorised construction and loss of trees. And to establish that facility, a CDA enforcement team has also been specially deployed to monitor and stop illegal construction.

The reports states that the ICT administration is also taking action against encroachers and illegal buildings under Section 144 which has been imposed by the ICT deputy commissioner.



Meanwhile, hearing the suo motu case regarding the cutting of trees at Margalla Hills, the three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, summoned the CDA chairman, and the secretaries of mines in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The bench also directed the CDA to submit a reply regarding the illegal construction of three housing societies around Margalla Hills. The hearing of the case was adjourned for two weeks.