ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Friday extended stay order on Capital Development Authority operation against the alleged china cutting land of 419 kanals located near Rawal Dam.
A single-judge bench of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani also directed the collector Islamabad, Land Acquisition Collector Government of Punjab, Rawalpindi, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit record of the land on April 8.
The bench passed the directions while hearing petition moved by residents of Mouza Lakhwal of Islamabad against CDA operation against occupation and sale of land of Rawal Dam and Lakhwal village.
During the course of proceedings, Raja Rizwan Abbasi counsel for the petitioners said that the total land of revenue estate of Lakhwal was 5,925 Kanals and five Marlas, out of which 2,874 Kanals and eight Marlas were acquired by the CDA and 2,631 Kanals and 16 Marlas of land was acquired by the land acquisition collector, Rawalpindi, for the construction of Rawal Dam.
Resultantly, he said, approximately 419 Kanals and five Marlas of land was not acquired by any authority.
Abbasi said that the first acquisition process was completed in 1959 when preparations were in progress for making Islamabad the new capital of the country.
The second acquisition process was completed by the CDA in 1968, he said, adding that neither 419 Kanals and five Marlas were acquired nor any monetary compensation has been paid.
The counsel has prayed that the court may issue directions to the respondents to hold combined demarcation of the land and separate the unacquired land situated in revenue estate of Lakhwal in the best interest of justice.
Following the petition, the court had issued notices to the respondents and granted stay in the matter.
It is pertinent to mention here that china cutting is basically an illegal way of carving out big amenity plots, community centres, government plots, parks, play grounds, or even cemeteries into smaller plots and sell them.
