Court summons CDA chairman

IHC chief justice says non-payment of compensation to land affectees violation of basic human rights

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday summoned the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman in person on September 16 in a case pertaining to the non-payment of compensation to the affectees of various sectors.

As many as 1,000 people, whose lands had been acquired to build urban sectors in the federal capital, have been waiting for compensation from the civic agency and the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF), which builds houses for government employees.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, while hearing the case, remarked that the CDA has failed to satisfy the court in the matter and the non-payment of the compensation was a violation of basic human rights. The chief justice directed the CDA chairman to clarify why the compensation has not been paid to the affectees. “It is a grave issue which is being dealt with normally,” the judge observed.

Expressing displeasure, the chief justice remarked that these lands were acquired from the owners about 40 years ago but unfortunately, they were still waiting for compensation. The court observed that the CDA has allotted 22,000 plots to its successive chairmen and members. The court asked whether the civic agency wanted it to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the CDA chairman. “The civic body is serving others instead of the public,” the judge remarked. The court summoned the CDA chairman in person and adjourned the hearing till September 16.

The petitions had been filed by affectees of CDA sectors, including E-12, I-17, H-16, G-12, F-12, Kurri Model Village C-14 and C-15.

The petitioners have maintained that both the CDA and the FGEHF did not use power in the manner suggested by the court. They said that they were deprived of their inherited lands but never compensated to enable them to bear the cost of dislocation and loss of homes and businesses. The affectees maintained that in many cases, the CDA used the power of compulsory acquisition to enrich members of selected privileged classes including those who had been facing corruption charges and committed serious professional misconduct.

Earlier, the IHC in its verdict had directed the FGEHF to submit a report regarding the status of compensation claims against it and expressed that it was ironic that CDA or FGEHF prepared no scheme for low-income groups or other less privileged classes while the government largesse had been distributed only amongst few members of the privileged class.

The IHC had said that the CDA had misused its compulsory land acquisition powers and taken land from original owners and distributed it among people from the privileged class.

The court had said that the CDA and the FGEHF did not start any scheme for the low-income group. Additional input from APP

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2022.