Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan submitted all the legal documents on special directives of the Supreme Court to regularise his illegal residence in Banigala of Zone 3 on Monday.

The premier’s luxury residency Banigala based on 300 kanals and four marlas was found illegally constructed without a No Objection Certificate from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

PM Imran Khan was ordered by the SC to legalise his residency by submitting heavy regularisation fees to the CDA after his application will pass through successive process for regularisation.

Imran Khan wrote a letter to the chief justice to draw his attention towards the “municipal lawlessness” in the area of Banigala, but it is a fact that he himself is lacking a legal cover for his residence situated in Margalla Hills, National Park Area, which is a major and sensitive component of Zone 3 in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Khan had constructed his residence situated in the real estate of Village Mohra Noor by violating two laws simultaneously: the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance 1979 and the ICT Regulations 1992.

On special directives of the SC, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar ordered Khan to regularise his illegal residence by paying the scheduled fine on violating the rules and regulations of the CDA. In his remarks, he also added that demolishing the premier’s luxury residence would not be justified.

Following the directions of the SC, Khan submitted his legal documents along with an application for regularisation of his residency. The civic agency will get Rs 100 per square feet from residential owners while Rs 200 per/sq ft will be charged from owners of commercial buildings as well as other charges will also be charged from the residence of Banigala under development charges.

Khan is optimistic about prevention of global warming in Pakistan but he violated the laws of the country harming the environment of an area where construction is not allowed according to environmental laws.

The more dangerous and illegal thing in the case of Khan’s residence is that besides Zone 3, it is also constructed in the Margalla Hills, National Park. The park comprises Rawal Lake and an area within a distance of two kilometres from the highest water mark of Rawal Lake declared by SRO 443 dated April 28, 1980 issued under Section 21 of the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance, 1979.

The purpose to declare any area as a national park is to protect and preserve the scenery, the flora and the fauna in their natural state and no private construction is allowed in the said area, but Khan has not only constructed his house contrary to the provisions of the law, but also restricted public access by constructing a boundary wall around his house, which is otherwise not allowed under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance, 1979.

A source in the environment wing told Daily Times on condition of anonymity that Khan has not only violated the laws as Banigala has no legal cover but has also endangered the wildlife species and environment. He added that the judiciary should punish the accused while violating the laws and harming the environment and not permit regularisation of this illegal construction.

He added that Khan has set a very good example for others by accepting where he went wrong and submitting application and all legal documents to clear himself.

An official of the encroachment wings added that “we are conducting operations against those who have committed violations of environment and wildlife laws”.

Published in Daily Times, November 20^th 2018.