Islamabad
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the last chance to Ministry of Housing and Works (MoH&W) to chalk out a strategy to vacate government residences from illegal occupants and submit compliance report. A two member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan heard the suo moto notice case regarding illegal possession of government residences.
During the course of proceedings, the court expressed annoyance over the report of MoH&W by terming it unsatisfactory. The apex court, while giving a deadline to the Ministry of Housing, said that despite the court order, the ministry failed to vacate government houses from occupants. The bench directed the Secretary Ministry of Housing and Works to submit report at the next hearing.
The Chief Justice remarked that the officers get government houses allotted despite having private residences, many government officials have allotted houses and rented them out. The Additional Secretary Housing said that departmental action has been initiated to vacate 52 houses. He said that the record was presented before the court after verification of each government residence. He said that 48 teams were formed to inspect the houses.
The Chief Justice said that the government houses were still illegally occupied. People kept sending complaints to the court about the Ministry of Housing, he added. He said that the court received a complaint regarding illegal occupation of a government house at Islamabad’s Sector G-6 allotted to a woman Durdana Kazmi.
He said that government houses were for government employees only, not for private individuals. He said if the Ministry of Housing officials did not remove illegal occupation, they would have to face action.—APP
