IHC issues contempt of court notice to CDA chairman.

Byline: Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a contempt of court notice to the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not issuing allotment letters for plots to landowners in C-14.

IHC Justice Aamer Farooq issued the show-cause notice to CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed for not issuing allotment letters to petitioners seeking plots from the authority under a land sharing formula, under which four kanals undeveloped land is acquired in exchange for one kanal developed plot.

The court is hearing identical petitions regarding the allotments of plots to people whose land the CDA acquired under this formula.

The civic body chose to initiate balloting for allotments despite court order to issue allotment letters to landowners in C-14

On Oct 4, the IHC had directed the CDA to issue allotment letters to the landowners. Instead, the authority last week published a public notice inviting objections from the public at large prior to initiating balloting.

The CDA's public notice states: 'In pursuance of court order dated October 4, 2019, it is for the information of general public that subject to fulfilment of all codal formalities as per standing operating procedure (SOP)/rules/Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Policy, 2007...it has been decided by CDA to allot residential plots to the affectees/land owners for which a ballot is planned to be conducted on 12 Nov.'

During the hearing on Nov 1, counsel for the affected landowners Naeem Bukhari told the court that...