Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The CDA has allegedly allotted a precious plot valuing Rs 3.25 billion to a favourite company at lower than the market rate (less than Rs 500 million) through an auction.

A claimant of the plot had obtained a stay order from the subordinate court till December 20. Despite the publication of the advertisement about the stay order in respect of this plot in newspapers, on behalf of the claimant, the CDA filed an application in the court on December 14 seeking a vacation of the stay order. They put the precious plot to be auctioned immediately after having the stay order vacated.

The market value of this valuable plot was stated to be 3.25 billion but the CDA allotted it to its favourite company ZKB at the cost of Rs 2.75 billion. According to sources the counsel whose services were hired by the ZKB company is a close relative of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Kashif Ali Advocate, appeared in the court of civil judge Habib Bilal Ranjha, on behalf of the ZKB Company and took the plea that the stay order stands no justification. The CDA had advertised in the newspaper for the sale of this plot. All the arrangements for auctioning this plot have been put in place therefore, the court should vacate this stay order forthwith, he requested.

It is pertinent to mention here that this court had granted a stay order to the second party, Maqbool Associates, and fixed December 20 as the next date for the hearing of the case.

The stay order was vacated by the court without issuing any notice to the other party when Kashif Ali Advocate appeared before the court.

When contacted, the CDA spokesman Malik Mazhar, told Daily Times that three companies had participated in the auction and the ZKB emerged as the successful bidder. Therefore, the plot was allotted to it.

According to sources the plot has been sold out at a lower rate – by Rs 500 million. When legal opinion was obtained from a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Azhar Siddique, he said no such emergency was in place that a stay order be vacated without hearing the rival party. The court should have issued a notice to the rival party under the judicial rules so that their stance could be obtained.

The filing of the application in no time and vacating the stay order by the court was incomprehensible, he added. It seems as if the CDA was hell bent upon favouring someone. The Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court should take notice of this matter.

He held that the aggrieved party could file an appeal in the court of the Sessions judge but he had achieved his objective to whom the CDA was to favour. Now nothing can really be said as to how many years will pass by in administering justice to the aggrieved party.