ISLAMABAD (Online): Islamabad High Court (IHC), while issuing the conditional order to de sealing a shopping plaza “Safa Gold Mall” located in Jinnah Supermarket Islamabad, issued directions to owner of Plaza to pay outstanding government dues amounting Rs 220 million in a week.
The court has ordered to submit security equal to imposed penalty on the delay of payment of the government dues.
A single bench headed by Justice Amir Farooq conducted the hearing. Advocated Syed Zulfiqar and Mudassar Malik from Safa Gold Mall and the counsel from CDA appeared before the court.
CDA’s counsel informed the court that shopping Plaza has been sealed due to nonpayment government dues and illegal construction adding that notices has been served in this regard.
He added but the management of Shopping Plaza did not reply in befitting manner.
Later the court issued conditional order to de sealing the Shopping Plaza side by side the court issued directions to remove the encroachments outside the Shopping Plaza and to vacate the both basements of Plaza allotted for parking. It was vital to mention here that the shopping plaza was sealed on Thursday owing to nonpayment of outstanding dues and illegal constructions. The owners of plaza were entitled to construct only 7 stories of this plaza as per building by laws and on the other hand construction of 8th storey was underway in this plaza without obtaining any permission from concerned authorities.
Besides the outstanding dues to the tune of Rs 70 million were also payable by the owners of this plaza.
The plaza was sealed under supervision of director building control and area magistrate.
Earlier a director of CDA was caught red handed for taking bribe from Safa Mall management in connection with illegal constructions and change in map.
Director Estate Commercials Iftikhar Ali Chaudhry was arrested by NAB on December 1, 2015 for receiving bribe amounting to Rs 5 million from Abdul Qayyum Rana, owner of Safa Gold Mall for allowing him to raise illegal construction and change map.
Director Iftikhar Ali had assured Safa Gold Mall administration in return for huge kickbacks that no action would be taken against them by CDA for change in map and illegal constructions. The plaza administration would be provided full protection by CDA in official documents.
The NAB on the other hand not only recovered bribed money of Rs 5 million by taking timely action but also arrested CDA director red handed. Director CDA is still under the custody of NAB and he has not been granted bail so far.
