Sindh told to rid govt houses of illegal occupants

Top court gives a two-month deadline; also directs province to cancel all illegal allotments

ISLAMABAD:

The apex court on Friday issued directions to the Sindh government to evict people living illegally in government-owned houses within two months.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, while hearing a suo motu case also directed the provincial government to cancel all illegal allotments and grant them on the basis of merit.

The Sindh additional advocate general told the court that 229 government houses were illegally occupied in the province, and the process of eviction was stopped because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The counsel representing the Capital Development Authority (CDA) informed the court that the house of the Islamabad police chief was also allotted illegally.

“Islamabad police are occupying 200 of our quarters,” the lawyer added. “Negotiations were held to resolve this issue but the police are not ready to vacate them.”

The additional attorney general said only four government houses in Islamabad could not be vacated and their cases were pending in courts.

The chief justice said that he would look into the matter at the next hearing.

The court later adjourned the hearing for two months.

In June this year, the top court had given the government two months to evict illegal occupiers from all state properties in the federal capital and then submit a report.

The bench expressed its dissatisfaction over the housing ministry’s report saying that despite its order, the houses were not taken back from the illegal occupants.

The chief justice observed that report was based on incorrect facts. He noted that many government officials despite having personal residences were living in government houses. He added that many officials had rented out the state-owned houses.

In March, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought a clarification from the housing ministry on the illegal allotment of houses to judges and judicial officers.

The IHC registrar wrote a letter to the housing ministry secretary on the directions of Chief Justice Athar Minallah. It read that the CJ had learned about judges and judicial officers being allotted houses in violation of the allotment rules 2002 and the apex court’s decisions.

 The housing ministry was told to ensure that no house was allotted in violation of the Allotment Rules 2002 and the decisions of the courts.

The IHC chief justice directed the housing ministry to furnish a list of allotments with justifications.

The IHC registrar also attached copies of the Supreme Court's 2012 and Islamabad High Court's 2018 decisions along with the letter.