ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday made a passionate appeal for saving the capital city from the looming water scarcity in the region.

At the same time, the Supreme Court ordered the civic agency not to allow any marquee in the Lakeview Park in the periphery of the Rawal Lake.

On a suo motu, a three-judge bench had taken up a case initiated on a letter written by PTI Chairman Imran Khan inviting attention of the court towards the large-scale encroachment on the botanical garden, uncheck and unplanned construction in the Banigala area, massive denuding due to large scale tree felling and pollution of the Rawal Lake due to sewage.

The court also ordered Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Usman Bajwa not to regularise any marquee around the dam and submit a list of stay orders if issued by the subordinate judiciary in favour of such facilities.

Supreme Court seeks list of stay orders issued by subordinate judiciary in favour of such facilities

The chairman, however, replied that the authority had already issued notices to the marquees around the lake.

Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) Director General Farzana Altaf Shah requested the court to discourage unplanned marquees around the lake so that the mistake of allowing a mushroom growth at E-11 should not be repeated.

During the proceedings, the apex court also ordered the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) not to provide connections on extraneous and political considerations and called for periodic reports from the two utilities until the forthcoming elections were held.

After the elections, they will be free to pursue whatever policy they liked to.

The court also warned of taking action in case it received complaints of awarding out-of-turn connections on political recommendations.

About the lease of 75 acres in the Lakeview Park in 2007 on 15 to 30 years lease, the court ordered former CDA chairman Kamran Lashari to visit the area along with his current counterpart and check whether the purpose for which the properties were doled out were being followed or not.

Mr Lashari explained that the then CDA board had approved the establishment of a family entertainment park as well as entertainment and activity zone for sports and recreation with innovative and modern ideas.

When the chief justice asked from where the CDA got the authority to take such an initiative, Mr Lashari handed him a letter highlighting how he had been writing to the authority continuously for years inviting their attention towards the unattended projects involving public money.

The chief justice however said the court did not want to take any action but its only concern was to ensure that the land should be utilised for the purpose it was given.

The court appreciated Mr Lashari’s past contribution for the capital city by acknowledging that he had an innovative mind having done a lot in Lahore also.

But the court directed him to spend two or three days in the capital city and propose what actions should be initiated against the delinquents who misused the lease agreement with the CDA.

The CDA chairman told the court that some of the land given to different firms was functional but deficient in required standards while a few were not functional. A few of them have even sublet the property against the rules.

About PTI chief’s 300 kanal Banigala estate, the court asked Advocate Babar Awan point blank to get the property regularised.

Mr Awan had accused the federal government of forging documents to establish that the no-objection certificate (NOC) issued in favour of the Banigala property was fake.

The chief justice also observed that the site plan of Mr Khan’s estate was not approved and therefore he should pay the penalty and get it regularised.

Babar Awan also alleged that Mohammad Umar, who remained secretary Union Council Bhara Kahu in 2003 and had given a statement that the certificate submitted to the court was never issued by him, was under suspension for some time but now had been given the charge of the most lucrative union councils namely Koral and Sohan after his affidavit.

“The government have blown the entire matter out of proportion because Mr Khan was the archrival of the government,” the counsel said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the court that he had talked to the residents of the Banigala area and the latter had agreed to dig septic tanks so that sewage be drained to the Rawal Lake or the Korang Nullah.

He also said the CDA rules and zone regulations would soon be formulated and updated.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2018