Islamabad HC strikes down subsidised plots for judges, bureaucrats

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that the allotment of plots on subsidised rates to Pakistan's top judges, lawyers and bureaucrats was illegal and ordered the federal government's real estate entity to initiate housing schemes for the general public.

According to Dawn newspaper, an IHC division bench consisting of Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the judgement on identical petitions related to the allotment of plots by the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) in sectors F-14 and F-15 of Islamabad.

The verdict declared the FGEHA project in both sectors as well as the upcoming sectors F-12 and G-12 as illegal.

"Surprisingly, the list of successful beneficiaries posted on the website included senior members of the bureaucracy and serving and retired judges of the superior judiciary. Virtually every judge of the district judiciary of Islamabad was amongst the beneficiaries. Ironically, they included judicial officers who were kept under observation either for incompetence or having questionable repute. It also included those judicial officers who were dismissed from service pursuant to disciplinary proceedings or who had opted to resign," the court order stated, according to Dawn.

The court verdict noted that FGEHA board members even allotted plots to themselves.

( With inputs from ANI )