Court wants compensation issue of displaced Islamabad residents resolved
Thousands were displaced during the capital's planning in the 1960s
Photo: SAMAA TV FILE
The Islamabad High Court has ordered authorities to find a solution to the problems of Islamabad residents displaced during the city’s planning and development in the 1960s.
Thousands of Islamabad residents were displaced in the wake of infrastructural development in the city in the 60s.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard eight petitions filed by people displaced from F-14 and F-15 sectors.
In the past, they have been offered compensation for their land at the government rates, but they say their land is worth several times more and demand the government pay them the market value.
There’s nothing like the State for a commoner, the judge remarked during the hearing. He said the State is busy serving the elite alone.
“We can see the state of governance in the country,” Justice Minallah said. “Everywhere there is a conflict of interest.”
He said a commoner would give in to the impediments in their way to get their right. “The State that was to protect the citizens is busy serving only the elite.”
How would you feel if your lands are nationalised and you are evicted from your homes, the chief justice asked officials of the Islamabad Capital Development Authority and the Housing Foundation.
“What explanation would you offer to a widow who is not getting a house to live in return for her own land?” he questioned. “Simply put, the State does not exist for a common citizen.”
CDA and Housing Foundation officials blamed the National Accountability Bureau for the delay. They said NAB would be after them if they made any decision.
The court maintained that basic rights of the people could not be overlooked. It ordered officials to present a solution to the issue by December 3 and adjourned the hearing.
