Court tells RCB to remove constructions by June 22

Petitioner contends that constructions violate stay orders previously granted by the high court


Mudassir Raja June 20, 2017
Petitioner contends that constructions violate stay orders previously granted by the high court. PHOTO: EXPRESS

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) to remove illegal residential and commercial construction from a playground in Dhoke Syedan by June 22.

Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench directed the RCB counsel to ensure removing illegal construction from the ground since the court had already issued a stay order on construction in the park.

The directives were issued as the court heard a contempt of court petition filed by Advocate Anwar Dar who claimed that the RCB had started fresh construction on the playground which is sprawled over an area of 108 kanals in the populous locality of Dhoke Syedan.

Filed through advocate Inamur Rahim, Dar had accused RCB Executive Officer Dr Saima Shahand other officials of violating a stay order which had been granted by the LHC in 2012. The stay order ground to a halt construction taking place on the park’s land.

The court is expected to take up the main case of changing land for the playground into residential and commercial plots on June 22.

A petitioner had approached the Islamabad High Court and filed a case in 2009, maintaining that there was no park or playground for residents of Dhoke Syedan, Tench Bhatta, Ghaziabad, and Miserial Road.

The petitioner further argued that the cantonment authorities and ministry of defence wanted to sell land meant for a playground after converting it into residential and commercial plots.

The petitioner had further contended that the land did not belong to the defence ministry, rather it was owned by the Punjab government.

During the case proceedings, the Punjab government told the court that the land was indeed owned by the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2017.

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