Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Friday asked the government institutions to avoid investing in real estate sector.
Heading a three-member bench which heard the case related to the forensic audit of housing societies, the CJP said nobody would be able to compete with an agency if it started its housing projects.
During the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah remarked how could the FIA use its name in a private business? Isn’t this a conflict of interest?
Justice Minallah said there were serious allegations of land grabbing on some security agencies. The job of these institutions, he said, was to serve the public and not run housing societies.
On the other hand, The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday urged the Punjab caretaker government to refrain from changing the land use as it is beyond its legal mandate.
In a letter to interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the chief secretary, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal Hussain said that it has been observed that the provincial government is taking major steps to change land use in various districts.
“As you are aware that under Section 230(2)(a) of the Elections Act, 2017, and subsequent guidelines dated 22nd January 2023 issued by the Election Commission, the caretaker government cannot take major policy decisions except on urgent matters to run the affairs of the government on day to day basis,” he reminded the authorities.
The electoral authority apprised Naqvi that the deputy commissioners were issuing no-objection certificates (NOC) for various housing societies, adding that green areas are being compromised and by doing so agricultural land is being sacrificed.
“This will lead to mushroom and haphazard growth of residential areas. moreover, the element of corruption cannot be ruled out in certain cases,” read the letter.
The ECP added that there should be a proper policy to address the issue, which is beyond the mandate of the caretaker garment and can only be formulated by the elected government.
“So, issuance of new NOCs may immediately be stopped and instructions to this effect be issued to all deputy commissioners, he added.
The ECP hoped that the provincial caretaker government would perform its duties as per the legal mandate and guidelines of the Commission.
