ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to solve the long-awaited issue of car parking spaces, especially in the surrounding of showrooms.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar during an earlier hearing of a petition filed by showroom owners in G-8 and G-9 had ordered de-sealing of their outlets which the CDA had sealed for non-conforming use.

CDA counsel Hafiz Arafat advocate contended before the court that the general public faced difficulties in finding a place to park their vehicles near the showrooms as the dealers had occupied almost all vacant spaces.

Justice Sattar perused the report and the response of the CDA and observed that “here seems to exist inadequate provision for the parking needs of businesses and residents in Islamabad and there doesn’t seem to exist effective regulatory framework that provides for provision of such parking.

“Further, CDA appears to follow a misconceived approach to sealing businesses on the basis that they are using public parking places, which prima facie does not seem to be a basis to declare non-conforming use of the properties that such businesses are in occupation of or in consonance with the regulatory framework that has been put in place under the Capital Development Authority Ordinance 1960.”

Justice Sattar issued notice to the inspector general of police and the senior superintendent of police (traffic) and directed them to file a report on the legal framework within which they take regulatory and penal action to ensure that vehicles were parked in accordance with the use of roads and parking places as prescribed by law.

The court also directed the CDA chairman and the member (planning) to file a report reflecting the needs of citizens and businesses and the arrangements that had been made to ensure that adequate parking places were available for such purpose.

Justice Sattar directed the CDA chairman to convene a meeting with representatives of the petitioners as well as relevant officials of the traffic police so that an effective long-term solution can be chalked out and parking places are made available and used in accordance with law.

Further hearing in the matter was adjourned till Oct 30.

The CDA last month had sealed 117 car showrooms for occupying parking space in different markets.

The showroom owners challenged the CDA’s operation and subsequent sealing of their outlets in the IHC through their counsel Kashif Ali Malik.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023