The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday summoned the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to appear before it in person on October 27. The court expressed strong displeasure over an eviction operation against police officers living in G-6 flats, which was allegedly carried out in defiance of a stay order.
The CDA is the federal agency responsible for planning and development in Islamabad. A stay order is a court direction that temporarily halts an action, such as an eviction, until the case is decided.
What the court said
Hearing a writ petition filed by police employees, a single bench led by Justice Muhammad Azam Khan observed that the court had already restrained authorities from vacating the flats. The judge questioned why court orders were being ignored, and said that even if an order was flawed, the authorities were obligated to explain how. A writ petition is a formal request asking a high court to act on a complaint of rights violation or illegal action.
Arguments from both sides
The petitioners' counsel told the court that a stay order was in force when the CDA, accompanied by police, went ahead with the operation. CDA's counsel, Shehryar Tariq, argued that no evidence of a violation had been presented, that the petition did not ask for such relief, and that no separate contempt application had been filed. Justice Azam Khan responded that people who had been removed from their homes could not be expected to file a petition in the way the CDA suggested. The allegation that the eviction defied the court's order has not been decided.
What happens next
The court directed the CDA chairman to appear personally on Tuesday, October 27, and indicated that the writ petition may be converted into a contempt of court case. Contempt of court is a proceeding against a person accused of disobeying a court order. The hearing was then adjourned, and no ruling on the eviction itself has been reported. Because the matter is still before the court, both sides' positions remain on record and the allegation is unproven. The next steps will depend on what the CDA chairman tells the bench when he appears.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad High Court ne CDA chairman ko 27 October ko zaati taur par pesh hone ka hukm diya hai. Court ne G-6 flats se police afsaron ko nikalne ke amal par naraazgi zahir ki, jo kathit taur par stay order ki khilaf-warzi mein kiya gaya. Maamla contempt of court ki shakal ikhtiyar kar sakta hai. Aap ke liye iska matlab yeh hai ke adalati hukam ki pabandi lazmi hai aur sarkari idaray bhi adalat ko jawab dehne ke paband hain.
