Saifullah Sani
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ISLAMABAD: A citizen who could not transport his cancer patient to the hospital as the PTI supporters on Thursday blocked his street housing the party’s central secretariat, has moved the Supreme Court praying the offices of all political parties be pulled out from residential to commercial areas.
In addition to PTI, other parties like PML-N, PPP, PML-Q and APML also have their offices in residential areas and thus have been made a party in the petition that argues that other than exposing residences to terrorism threats, the parties are evading taxes by paying rents and utility bills on domestic tariff, causing inconvenience to the public and violating CDA’s Master Plan. The CDA has also been made a party.
As the lawmakers have become lawbreakers, several commercial activities have been started in the residential areas whereas the public places like parks have also been encroached. A park, for instance, located in the corner of street 22 (F-6/2) and Khayaban-e-Iqbal has its walking trail converted into residential plot and allotted through ‘auction’. Same is the case in several other sectors.
Dr Saqib Abbasi, who lives in the street where the PTI’s main office in sector G-6 is located, wanted to take his female relative to hospital as her condition deteriorated requiring urgent treatment but failed to do so as the street was blocked by the PTI supporters and their vehicles. He then moved to nearby Aabpara Police Station to register a complaint but SHO Qasim Niazi refused to entertain him, Abbasi said.
“This is not the first incident. Residents of the streets are often held hostage by mammoth gatherings here that block our movement,” he pointed out.
As this issue is not restricted to this street and instead is shared by the residents everywhere situated near the offices of political parties, all the parties housing offices in residential areas of Islamabad have been made parties through their secretary generals.
Out of five parties having offices in residential areas, three have their offices in close neighbourhood in G-6/4 in streets 84-86. While PTI operates through its central secretariat in street 84 (G-6/4), PPP’s office is located in street 85 (G-6/4) and Pervez Musharraf’s APML in street 86 (G-6/4). The PML-N has its secretariat in F-8/3 (street 10) and PML-Q at Margalla Road (F-7/3).
The petition filed through Athar Minallah advocate argues that the housing of political offices in residential areas is in violation of CDA Ordinance and rules governing its functions hence not only the parties but also the CDA are responsible for this violation.
The political parties should be role models for others as they organise people to be elected for public offices and to form governments. Unlawful establishment of commercial and business activities on residential plots is also a loss to the exchequer, private and public nuisance, putting life and property of other citizens to risks and is discriminatory towards other citizens who respect and follow the law.
Non-conforming illegal use of residential plots for commercial and business purposes enables the user to evade higher taxation and rates of utility services levied, charged and collected in case of commercial and business activities, argues the petition, hence causing financial loss to the public.
Such illegal acts on their part, the petition argues, encourages lawlessness in society, amounts to violation of code of ethics and weakens the authority of CDA. Establishing political offices on residential plots is the highest degree of abuse of rule of law and manifestation of undermining the CDA’s authority.
Petition seeks ouster of offices of political parties from residential areas - thenews.com.pk - Linkis.com
In addition to PTI, other parties like PML-N, PPP, PML-Q and APML also have their offices in residential areas and thus have been made a party in the petition that argues that other than exposing residences to terrorism threats, the parties are evading taxes by paying rents and utility bills on domestic tariff, causing inconvenience to the public and violating CDA’s Master Plan. The CDA has also been made a party.
As the lawmakers have become lawbreakers, several commercial activities have been started in the residential areas whereas the public places like parks have also been encroached. A park, for instance, located in the corner of street 22 (F-6/2) and Khayaban-e-Iqbal has its walking trail converted into residential plot and allotted through ‘auction’. Same is the case in several other sectors.
Dr Saqib Abbasi, who lives in the street where the PTI’s main office in sector G-6 is located, wanted to take his female relative to hospital as her condition deteriorated requiring urgent treatment but failed to do so as the street was blocked by the PTI supporters and their vehicles. He then moved to nearby Aabpara Police Station to register a complaint but SHO Qasim Niazi refused to entertain him, Abbasi said.
“This is not the first incident. Residents of the streets are often held hostage by mammoth gatherings here that block our movement,” he pointed out.
As this issue is not restricted to this street and instead is shared by the residents everywhere situated near the offices of political parties, all the parties housing offices in residential areas of Islamabad have been made parties through their secretary generals.
Out of five parties having offices in residential areas, three have their offices in close neighbourhood in G-6/4 in streets 84-86. While PTI operates through its central secretariat in street 84 (G-6/4), PPP’s office is located in street 85 (G-6/4) and Pervez Musharraf’s APML in street 86 (G-6/4). The PML-N has its secretariat in F-8/3 (street 10) and PML-Q at Margalla Road (F-7/3).
The petition filed through Athar Minallah advocate argues that the housing of political offices in residential areas is in violation of CDA Ordinance and rules governing its functions hence not only the parties but also the CDA are responsible for this violation.
The political parties should be role models for others as they organise people to be elected for public offices and to form governments. Unlawful establishment of commercial and business activities on residential plots is also a loss to the exchequer, private and public nuisance, putting life and property of other citizens to risks and is discriminatory towards other citizens who respect and follow the law.
Non-conforming illegal use of residential plots for commercial and business purposes enables the user to evade higher taxation and rates of utility services levied, charged and collected in case of commercial and business activities, argues the petition, hence causing financial loss to the public.
Such illegal acts on their part, the petition argues, encourages lawlessness in society, amounts to violation of code of ethics and weakens the authority of CDA. Establishing political offices on residential plots is the highest degree of abuse of rule of law and manifestation of undermining the CDA’s authority.
Petition seeks ouster of offices of political parties from residential areas - thenews.com.pk - Linkis.com
