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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), in a unanimous verdict today (Tuesday), has ordered the demolition of illegally constructed chambers built for lawyers on a sports ground in the capital’s F-8 area.
The verdict was announced by a four-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah and also including Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
In the written order, authored by Justice Minallah, IHC said, “The encroachments on any state land and any construction thereon in violation of the Ordinance of 1960 and the rules or regulations made there under are illegal, void and liable to be removed forthwith.”
“The facts of this case are disturbing because the conduct of a few enrolled lawyers has caused reputational damage to the entire legal fraternity,” the verdict stated.
The IHC observed that the encroachment on the playground had begun in 2013 and due to a restraining order passed by district courts as well as an injunction, CDA’s efforts to clear the illegal structures were halted.
“The office-bearers of the Islamabad District Bar had allotted plots to some lawyers for the construction of private chambers without any authorisation from concerned authorities,” it added.
The high court expressed hope that members of the Islamabad District Bar will clear the ground and restore the playground for public use. The court also said that the federal government and the CDA would be bound to clear the ground before March 23 if the lawyers fail to do so.
The bench directed the government to make “arrangements for holding a football tournament amongst students of public schools on the Pakistan Day i.e. 23rd of March 2021, to give tribute to the greatest lawyer of the sub continent and founder of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.”
The high court had been hearing the case, filed by a private citizen, since the past few years. In 2018, the Supreme Court had also taken suo motu notice of the construction of chambers by district court lawyers on the football ground, however, that matter is still pending.
