ISLAMABAD: Senior ex-servicemen on Tuesday challenged the conversion of greenbelts into commercial spaces and residential areas in an army-led residential scheme.

The 10 retired army officers, including two brigadiers, filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench, alleging that the Askari Colony management working under the director general housing of the General Headquarters (GHQ), was converting parks and greenbelts into residential and commercial units in Askari 14.

Justice Shahid Waheed of the LHC sought reply from the Askari Colony Management Office (ACMO) by May 29.

The petition also alleged that a foreign company not cleared by intelligence agencies was hired for surveillance and security services in all the housing schemes working under the ACMO.


Say greenbelts in Askari 14 converted into commercial spaces and residential areas in violation of master plan


The petitioners included retired brigadiers Said Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, retired colonel Aurangzeb Safdar, retired lieutenant colonels Arshad Hayat, Sultan Fayyaz Akhtar, retired majors Mohammad Riaz, Abdul Haq, Raja Tahir Jalil, Saeed Amir and Major Attiq Ahmed Kiani.

They cited the federation of Pakistan through the secretary defence, the director general housing GHQ, the ACMO and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) as respondents.

The petitioners maintained that they were veterans of the army and residents of Askari-14 Adiala Road, Rawalpindi, a project of the GHQ housing directorate with a well thought-out master plan.

“The original master plan of the housing area for1,100 families consisted parks, playgrounds, mosques and commercial areas. However, at a later stage the authorities concerned altered the master plan all together. In the changed master plan, the main playground was converted into a commercial/residential block, the main mosque shifted from its original central place to the rooftop of the Army Public School and a space reserved for children’s golf course was turned into commercial flats.”

Moreover, the left lane of the double road adjacent to houses connecting sector B and C was broken and digging started for the construction of commercial houses to be sold to the public. And illegal construction also started in the leftover mini-park of Sector A. The newly-constructed commercial houses were not delivered to retired officers whose allotment as per entitlement was due and instead the same were sold to blue-eyed officers through an under-table deal.

“These officers, a majority of whom belong to the housing directorate, after taking over the possession earned millions of rupees through illegal sale in the open market which speak volumes about the malice on part of the authorities concerned.

“Residents protested at this and also took up the matter with GHQ and representation was sent to the then COAS. After the protest, all the illegal construction was immediately stopped, the broken road restored and the residents were assured that the master plan would be adhered.”

The petitioners also said the housing authorities allowed an outsider to establish a service station in the residential area which is otherwise a security risk to the residents and no deal document was shown to the residents.

All of a sudden, a four-storey building was planned in the school playground and children were stopped from entering the ground and illegal construction started there.

After a few days, a jogging track reserved for families was given to some outsider through a secret deal for the construction of a shopping mall.

“In the recent past, in the darkness of night two mini-children parks at Sector-A were destroyed and digging started for the construction of houses.”

In the meanwhile, the residents came to know through a housing directorate letter that a foreign-based company, M/s Ertibatat (Pvt) Ltd, had been hired to provide internet facilities, security and surveillance services in Askari colonies all over the country.

“The company was having business in other countries, including India, and as per the knowledge of petitioners the company was not cleared security wise by MI, ISI, IB and more so Pemra also took serious notice of the fact that how the housing directorate concluded an agreement with a foreign-based company which is not registered in Pakistan.”

The petitioners requested the court to direct the respondents to remove all the construction and encroachments made in the green areas and parks in violation of the master plan.

A complete audit of the housing directorate with regard to Askari-14 may be carried out and contracts/agreements executed by the housing directorate with the foreign company as well as proprietors of the shopping mall and the service station be placed before the court, the petition added.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017

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