IHC orders to knock down Naval Sailing Club within three weeks

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered to raze Naval Sailing Club within three weeks, ARY News reported.

The reserved judgment in the case pertaining to the construction of the Naval Sailing Club and Naval Farms was announced by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

The verdict was reserved by the IHC after listening to the arguments from the respondents in the last hearing of the case. Terming naval farms and Naval Sailing Club, illegal, the IHC ordered to demolish the structure within three weeks.

The name of the institution cannot be used for commercial activities, the verdict read. It is to be noted that Naval Farms and Sailing Club are sealed for last two years on the orders of the Islamabad High Court.

The court also ordered to initiate criminal proceedings against former Naval Chief Admiral retired Zafar Mahmood Abbasi for inaugurating an illegal building.

At the last hearing, the chief justice had asked the CDA member that the court wanted to clarify two points before announcing its verdict, whether the civic body issued no abjection certificate to anyone despite there was no such provision in law, he had asked.

To a query by the bench, the CDAs member said that the authority used to take over the housing society and seal its offices if the NOC of the said society was canceled. The court asked why any action was not taken against the constructions around Rawal Lake. The court subsequently reserved its judgment.