ISLAMABAD: Court of Senior Special Magistrate Sardar Mohammad Asif on Wednesday indicted former senator and spokesperson of PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Mohammad Ali Saif in “destroying environment” in Shahdhra area of Zone III, Islamabad.

During hearing of the case, CDA’s environment wing’s lawyers as well as PTI leader’s lawyers pleaded their point of views.

Advocate Arif Khan, the lawyer of the accused, contended that his client has been targeted as he belonged to opposition PTI.

He stated that his client did nothing wrong and there is no justification of registering a case against him.

On the other hand, the lawyer of CDA stated that accused had damaged environment and Margalla Hills.

The court after indicting the accused directed the CDA to present evidence against the accused and adjourned the hearing, date of which is yet to be announced.

Earlier, last month, the same court had issued arrest warrant for the accused and had directed Bhara Kahu police to produce him before the court. He, however, obtained bail.

The warrant had been issued over violation of Preservation of Landscape Ordinance 1966, CDA Ordinance 1960 and CDA Environment Protection Regulation 2008.

According to a challan made against Mr Saif, he had been accused of destroying the environment at revenue estate of Shahdara, located in CDA’s Zone III. The area staff tried to stop him repeatedly, but he refused, it added.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023