Police are deployed at all entry points to the building, residents must vacate their apartments by midnight
ISLAMABAD:
The police and district administration on Friday took control of a multi-storey residential building on Constitution Avenue following a ruling by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a long-pending dispute over the cancellation of its lease.
Police teams were deployed at all entry points to the One Constitution Avenue building, and residents were asked to vacate their apartments by midnight. Several apartments had already been vacated, while the occupants of certain accommodations were still in the process of moving their belongings.
This decision follows the court decision issued the day before, triggering immediate administrative action on the ground.
The case involves the cancellation of the project’s lease by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The BNP company challenged the decision before the IHC, requesting the reinstatement of the lease.
IHC Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar announced a short order dismissing the petition against cancellation of the lease and ruling on related applications filed by the apartment owners.
The residents argued that the CDA had approved the construction plan and issued a no-objection certificate (NOC), after which the flats were purchased. They argued that the dispute was between the CDA and the developer and should be resolved between the parties involved.
Read: SC petition challenges transfer of IHC judges
The project originally arose from a 13.5-acre plot of land allocated to the BNP group following an auction on March 9, 2005 for Rs 4.88 billion. Although possession was handed over in the same year after an initial payment of Rs 800 million, BNP has so far paid Rs 1.02 billion, while the remaining Rs 3.85 billion is recoverable in installments till 2026.
In July 2016, the CDA canceled the lease, citing multiple violations. The decision was upheld by the IHC in 2017, which also declared the conversion of a five-star hotel project into luxury apartments illegal. However, the Supreme Court overturned this judgment in early 2019, ordering the developer to pay 17.5 billion rupees in installments over eight years.
The CDA argued that BNP had failed to meet its financial obligations after 21 years, saying freehold was conditional on payment of 100% of the cost of the land. Of the total debt amount of 17.5 billion rupees, only 2.9 billion rupees – about 16.6% – has reportedly been paid.
The complex reportedly includes apartments belonging to several personalities, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Shandana Gulzar Aurangzeb, former minister Burjees Tahir, former caretaker prime minister Nasirul Mulk and Kashmala Tariq.
