IHC orders de-sealing of illegally shut car showrooms
On July 1, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed the under-construction Grand Hyatt Hotel — owned by the BNP (Private) Limited — for various building and layout plan violations. PHOTO: anheimblog
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to de-seal more than 100 car showrooms across the federal capital.
The IHC observed that the CDA’s building control director could not satisfy the court under which law the showrooms had been sealed. “He should give an affidavit that why action should not be taken against him for misuse of authority,” the court order said.
In the written order on the petition of more than 25 car showroom owners, the court of IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar said Advocate Kashif Ali Malik presented arguments on behalf of the petitioners.
“During the hearing of the petition, the CDA’s building control director could not provide a satisfactory explanation for sealing the showrooms,” it said, adding the director failed to inform the court under which law the showrooms were sealed.
The court also observed that the CDA's counsels submitted a copy of a five-year-old public notice while no show cause notice was issued before sealing showrooms.
The court while issuing orders for immediate de-sealing of the showrooms, sought explanation from the building control director by September 3 and adjourned further hearing of the case until September 11.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2023.