CJP takes notices of occupation of govt houses

Orders provincial chief secretaries to submit a report within 10 days

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has taken notice of the large government residences occupied by field officers and ordered all provincial chief secretaries to submit a report.

According to a notification, the notice was taken on media reports claiming that field officers of different departments are living in huge government residences, worth billions of rupees. The government also allocates funds for annual maintenance of the houses located in posh areas of different cities.

“Taking notice of the issue, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan has called report from all chief secretaries of the provinces within 10 days,” says the notification.



Last month, the Supreme Court had also instructed law-enforcement agencies in Karachi to expedite process of reclaiming illegally occupied federal residential units.

The apex court on Oct 4 instructed the Sindh Rangers director-general and the provincial police chief to take action after an earlier deadline granted to the residents of over 4,400 residential units expired.

The additional attorney general had earlier informed the court that authorities were yet to recover Rs3.5 billion from the occupants. The bench, headed by the CJP, had also asked for the submission of a detailed report after the residential units are vacated.



The housing secretary had informed the court that the government had got vacated 386 out of 563 residential units in the federal capital.

The top court had also summoned complete details of cases under trial and granted lower courts a 15-day deadline to pass a verdict on disputed residential units.

In June, the estate office of the Housing and Works Ministry had decided to issue a final notice to the illegal occupants. Many houses meant for federal government employees in Karachi, have been illegally occupied by retired employees, widows and families of deceased employees and other private persons.