ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Estate Office on Saturday served notice on former defence minister Pervaiz Khattak asking him to vacate the official residence at the Ministers’ Enclave as he was no longer entitled to possess it.

An official of the Estate Office said the notice for the vacation of bungalow No 28 at the Ministers’ Enclave was served on Mr Khattak after he failed to vacate the house within the deadline. A minister is entitled to retain an accommodation in the enclave for 15 days after desolation of the cabinet or their resignation/removal from the cabinet.

However, Mr Khattak has not yet vacated the house even though the cabinet was dissolved over a month ago.

The Estate Office also sought assistance from the capital administration to get the residence vacated, he said.

In a letter to Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon, Deputy Director Aamir Ali Khan said: “Ex-federal minister Prevaiz Khattak was allotted the bungalow on December 3, 2018. The federal cabinet stand dissolved on April 10, 2022, and he was entitled to retain the accommodating for a period of 15 days.”

However, he has not yet vacated the bungalow that was allotted to Minister for Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasay on April 19.

It is, therefore, requested that a magistrate may kindly be deputed with necessary force to get the residence vacated from the former minister.

An official of the capital administration said in practice the Estate Office seeks the assistance of a magistrate and force to maintain law and order, if created, during the process to vacate an official residence.

A magistrate accompanied a team from the Estate Office to the residence and served the notice on the ex-minister, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2022