Appreciates injured enforcement director for reclaiming state land. PHOTO: FILE
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) passed these directions on Monday while hearing a petition filed by Transport Owners and Passengers’ Welfare Association over the illegal bus stands and other encroachments operating on green belts at Faizabad with permission from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Earlier on September 26, the IHC had directed the CDA and the Islamabad administration to remove all illegal bus stands and other encroachment from the green belts of the capital apart from launching operations against big and influential encroachers without any discrimination or caring about political pressure.
On Monday, when the court resumed hearings on the case, CDA Enforcement Director Taj Warsi appeared before the court in a wheelchair with a cast over his leg.
Warsi had been injured during an anti-encroachment operation against illegal structures set up near Centaurus Mall on November 8.
“The performance of CDA enforcement director is appreciable,” Justice Siddiqui remarked, as he directed CDA to continue indiscriminate operation against encroachment in the city.
Warsi told the court that police had registered an FIR against the lower staff of Centaurus Mall instead of senior officials of the mall who were mainly responsible for the encroachment and violence against the CDA Enforcement team.
On November 8, the CDA retrieved 15 acres of prime state land worth over Rs20 billion which had allegedly been encroached by the mall.
The CDA Enforcement team razed to the ground a residential complex comprising around 400 rooms and an office complex containing around 150 rooms.
During the operation, Centaurus Mall administration and employees twice halted the operation as they pelted the CDA staff with stones. The attack left Warsi and three other CDA officials and two Islamabad Police officials injured.
The mall staff also allegedly destroyed an excavator and a dozer apart from damaging many official vehicles. The CDA subsequently filed two separate applications for lodging FIRs. Similarly, in accordance with court orders, the CDA had last week sealed 19 under-construction high-rise buildings in Sector E-11 which were being built without due approval from the civic body.
The civic body also demolished security structures and encroachment built on state land in upscale and business districts of the capital.
However, despite multiple operations, bus stands at Faizabad continue to operate without any licence from the DMA for using open spaces.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2017.
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