Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Affectees of One Constitution Avenue decided to file an intra-court appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the bench verdict in Grand Hayat Hotel case, Daily Times has learnt.

According to sources, the victims held a meeting to devise a strategy after the judgement by IHC Justice Athar Minallah.

The meeting was attended by former chief justice Nasirul Mulk, Admiral (r) Nauman Bashir, National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Overseas Pakistanis Chairman Amir Magsi, State Minister for Petroleum Jam Kamal Khan, former foreign secretary Salman Bashir and Babar Sattar.

The participants have been following the proceedings of the case closely. They expressed their reservations on the judgement. There are inconsistencies in the judgment and it is one-sided, they said.

The consequences of the judgement are not limited to this project alone but also for all projects to come. The judgment is equally against the CDA, BNP and third parties, however it takes away assets from the third parties and BNP and gives it back to the CDA.

The participants admitted that the CDA has benefitted from its own negligence.

On March 2, the under-construction Grand Hyatt Hotel lost a legal battle as the IHC dismissed petitions against the cancellation of the lease of the land on which the five-star hotel and luxury apartments were being constructed.

The decision may affect the investment of about 240 people, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, SBP Governor Ashraf Wathra, PEMRA Chairman Absar Alam, former CJP Nasirul Mulk, ex-LHC chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Jam Kamal, former naval chief Asif Sandhela, former foreign secretary Salman Bashir and Lt Gen (r) Ahsan Hayat.