ISLAMABAD, July 23: People who were given farmland on the outskirts of Islamabad by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for growing farm products but turned them into farm houses may lose it all.

A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi, hinted at cancelling the allotments while considering public interest cases here on Monday.

It asked CDA chairman to submit a report naming the persons given agriculture farms in Chak Shahzad and any request received from them for changing the purpose for which it were allotted.

The purpose set by Islamabad’s Master Plan for these farms was to supply fresh fruits, vegetables and poultry items to the residents of Islamabad. But most of the elite and influential people who were doled out the farmlands turned them into palatial farm houses.

Other issues taken up by the bench related to unchecked price hike in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and last year’s sugar scandal.

On the first issue the bench asked federal secretaries of finance, commerce, industries and agriculture to appear before it and explain why the rise in prices could not be checked.

On the second issue, the bench directed Prosecutor General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to inform the court about the outcome of its preliminary investigation into the multi billion scandal.

Public hue and cry over the double digit food inflation recorded in the two cities had attracted the attention of the Supreme Court.

Justice Javed Iqbal initiated suo motu proceedings and Rawalpindi District Coordinating Officer (DCO) and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Khalid Pervez were directed to submit a comprehensive report in this regard.

The CDA is protecting huge palaces of lords built on acres of lands meant for farming when the rural areas adjoining the capital were without streets, water supply or other essentials,” observed Justice Abbasi during Monday’s proceedings.

While referring to the recently built Rs70 million Simly Road, which is now in tatters, he deplored that what to talk of pure milk, the citizens of Islamabad hardly get even proper milk.

Justice Javed Iqbal emphasised the need of establishing consumer associations to check prices, lamenting that the entire country was in the grip of different mafia because there were no organizations to watch the interest of consumers.

At this Justice Abbasi recalled that the Access to Justice Programme had laid great emphasis on setting up consumer courts but deplored that the vested interest did not let it happen.

In his report to the court the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad said the weekly bazaars in Sectors G-9, I-9 and G-6, and 35 Utility Stores, were great help in checking the prices of essential goods.

Three assistant commissioners and four magistrates were also constantly attending complaints about high prices in the city. Recently 260 shops were fined for not displaying rate list or indulging in profiteering.

Advocate Babar Awan pleaded that price hike could only be checked if attacked on three tiers, namely at production stage, middle men and retailers.

Senator Enver Baig presented the statistics of the Federal Bureau of Statistics to show that prices of essential commodities increased by 41 to 89 per cent between 2000 and 2007.

He alleged that hoarders creating price spiral were all linked to the ruling clan and insisted that former NAB chairman Shahid Aziz should be summoned to inform the court about the sugar scandal that rocked the country last year in which the sugar mafia sitting in the parliament reaped Rs41 billion.