ISLAMABAD: A four-member larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notices to lawyer representative bodies and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) during the hearing of a case related to the illegally constructed lawyers’ chambers on the football ground in F-8.

Headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising of puisne judge Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, the bench issued notices to the Pakistan Bar Council, Islamabad Bar Council, Islamabad Bar Association and CDA.

When the lawyers pointed out the unannounced strike of the lower court judges, Justice Minallah said the issue will be taken up on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court (SC) had in February last year taken suo motu notice of the construction of chambers by district court lawyers on the football ground. After keeping the matter pending for about 10 months, the apex court referred the matter to IHC on Dec 2018.

CDA has included the football ground in the list of encroached on amenity plots. The list has already been submitted to SC and IHC.

A CDA report says the lawyers had also encroached on state land worth millions of rupees which was retrieved after removing a restaurant.

In its report dated Dec 19, 2017, the civic agency had said lawyers were constructing chambers on public ground.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2019