ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the Ministry of Interior and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to remove all illegal slums in the federal capital within one month.

The court also directed Additional Secretary Interior Hamid Ali Khan and the CDA Member Administration Amir Ali Ahmed to sever connections of gas, electricity and other utilities to the dwellers of these slums.

The ruling came on a petition filed by Amin Khan, a resident of G-12 slum, seeking directions to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to issue him a computerised national identity card (CNIC).

The petitioner said he had been residing in the katchi abadi for over 40 years without any national identity card or registration.

The court expressed surprise over the presence of such an unregistered citizen in the federal capital. On January 28, the court had sought replies from the authorities concerned.

On Friday, CDA Member Administration Amir Ali Ahmed and Additional Secretary Hamid Ali Khan appeared before the court.

The CDA official informed the court that there were almost 10 legal and an equal number of illegal katchi abadis in Islamabad. He said the legal slums were those whose record existed with the CDA.

However, the CDA also wanted to relocate the legal katchi abadis. At this, Justice Siddiqui observed that had the CDA simultaneously announced the award for land and built-up properties while acquiring land for the development of new sectors, these katchi abadis would not have emerged in the city.

“It is because of the sluggishness of the development authority that people built new houses on the land where CDA planned to develop new sectors,” he added.

Addressing the additional secretary interior, the judge said the CDA was willing to remove the katchi abadis and now “it is your duty to assist and provide cover to it.”

The additional secretary sought two months’ time to complete the task. However, the court directed the respondents to finish the process within one month and submit a report on March 12.

The court also expressed annoyance over the provision of electricity and gas to the slum dwellers by Iesco and the SNGPL without confirming the status of the property.

The CDA member admin told the court that the authority had started a survey of all the slums in the city to evaluate their total population.

The ministry official said he had launched an operation against the slums in Sector I-11 when he was the deputy commissioner Islamabad in 2000.

But later the slum was established in the area once again, he said.

The petitioner through his counsel Chaudhry Waqas Zameer had adopted before the court that he could not be issued CNIC on the basis of his katchi abadi address.

Justice Siddiqui during the hearing of the matter said Nadra may issue the applicant a CNIC after verification of the address of his residence.

The petitioner contended before the IHC that due to tribal feuds in his native place he had migrated to Islamabad.

In February 2000, he applied for the issuance of the CNIC but Nadra told him to approach the authorities concerned at his native place.