ISLAMABAD, July 27: A helpless Ministry of Housing and Works has gone knocking at the door of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in desperation after failing to evict over 400 policemen occupying government dwellings ‘illegally’.
“Despite all our efforts we could not make them vacate government houses illegally occupied by officers and personnel of Islamabad police,” Housing Minister Syed Safwanullah told Dawn on Wednesday.
“If those responsible enforcing law themselves become law breakers then from where you would get justice,” the minister wondered.
A Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench verdict had directed the illegal occupants to vacate government houses immediately. “But unfortunately, even the orders of the court are not being followed by the protectors of law,” he lamented.
Not just serving but retired police officials also continue occupying government accommodation, he said.
Mr Safwanullah said government employees had been facing acute shortage of official accommodation in Islamabad and the menace of illegal occupation had aggravated the situation.
The General Waiting List (GWL) which carries the names of applicants of government accommodation has swelled to 32,000.
Meanwhile, a source told Dawn that an ordinance was being promulgated to vest more powers in the officers of the Estate Office to act against illegal occupants of government houses.
Some flats in sector G-9 have also been occupied illegally by the officials of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, according to the source.
A large number of government houses occupied illegally have reportedly been sublet to other people and the EO seems helpless in taking any action against them as they have obtained stay orders from different courts.
“Although the EO has bad reputation, it is a fact that many of its officials have no government accommodation despite being in service for 20 or more years,” an official of the EO said.
He said in compliance with the government’s directives, the EO was struggling hard to eradicate all malpractices in the department and make allotment on merit.
The source said besides political leaders, officials of district administration Islamabad, local police and even retired officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have also acquired government houses.
The EO has so far failed to vacate these houses from illegally occupation by their inhabitants due to legal constraints.