ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed the Capital Development Authority to demolish the illegal chambers of lawyers built on the Football Ground, footpaths, and greenbelts in the federal capital.
The apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed upheld the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict and turned down the lawyer’s plea to stay the demolition until an alternative place is provided for their chambers.
During the hearing, CJP inquired a reason the court should halt demolition of the illegal chambers. “Lawyers have no claim on the football ground. Those who want to practice [law] should have their offices built somewhere else,” he remarked.
A lawyer said that several courts are also built on the ground, to which the chief justice ordered that these courts should also be pulled down.
Chief Justice offered two months’ time to vacate the ground. However, advocate Hamid Khan said that the demolition be halted until they move to a new high court building.
Earlier, the top court had restrained the CDA from demolishing the illegal chambers. The lawyers had expressed willingness to submit an undertaking to vacate the land once construction of the lawyers’ complex was completed.
