Commissioner summoned in contempt case

The Islamabad High Court has summoned Islamabad Chief Commissioner and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman, Capt (retd) Anwarul Haq, in a contempt of court case.

Justice Babar Sattar of Islamabad High Court summoned the commissioner for not following court orders regarding the transfer of land ownership in the federal capital.

The High Court had earlier declared the CDA's ban on the transfer of citizens’ plots as illegal.

After the initial hearing of the contempt petition, the court remarked that the CDA Chairman, along with Member Estate, Tariq Salam Marwat, and the DG Land, Afnan Alam will appear at the court next week for further proceedings of the contempt case.

The court observed that it is the responsibility of the CDA to transfer the properties of citizens as per law. As per the contempt petition, Islamabad Chief Commissioner, Anwarul Haq had stopped the transfer of hundreds of plots citing restrictions by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

However, the petition submitted in court maintained that the FIA had only barred CDA from making transfers of plots for which enquiries were pending with it, but the CDA had been accused of restricting the transfer of hundreds of property files.

The contempt of court petition names Islamabad Chief Commissioner and CDA Chairman Capt (retd) Anwarul Haq, Member Estate Office, Tariq Salam Marwat, and DG Land, Afnan Alam as the respondents.