ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended CDA’s notice against a five-star hotel that was using government land as an extension of its parking facility. The court has temporarily allowed the hotel to utilise the space as a parking lot.

A month ago, a notice was served to the hotel by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The court hearing the appeal, against the notice, which was filed by Marriott Hotel had sought reply from CDA and adjourned the hearing till a date to be fixed by the registrar’s office.

Advocate Naeem Bokhari, the counsel of Marriott Hotel told the court that CDA last month served them a notice asking them to remove encroachments from the road.

According to the Marriott appeal, there have been three deadly attacks on the hotel in the past four years. The deadliest was in September 2008, causing a death toll of 31 persons and injuring many others.

The attacks caused a huge financial loss to the hotel, the appellant said. The hotel has been a hub of foreigners and embassies.

The chairman standing committee on interior, Senator Talha Mehmood, IG Islamabad police duly approved the security measures and the CDA authorities confirmed it.

As far as the parking lot is concerned, the hotel has been paying CDA for the facility, the appellant further adopted.

On July 18, IHC single bench comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui dismissed the Marriott Hotel petition seeking the same relief while observing that the hotel management could build whatever security arrangement they want including steel walls inside their premises but stopped them from encroaching upon government land causing problems for the ordinary citizen and commuters.