Provincial govt moves IHC against sealing KP house

Islamabad: After the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed it to approach the court in the federal capital, the provincial government filed an application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the sealing of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government filed the petition through Secretary Admin, in which Secretary Law, Secretary Home, DG Rangers, DG FIA and CDA have been made parties.

Apart from this, IG Islamabad, Director Building and Control CDA have also been made parties to the petition.

The petition has requested that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House be de-sealed pending the final decision of the case. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, a property of the provincial government, has been illegally sealed.

It has been said in the petition that the act of sealing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House and impounding the state vehicles should be declared illegal.

In the petition, the stand has been adopted that when the PHC was approached, it was said that the relevant forum is the IHC.

It is pertinent to note that yesterday the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approached the PHC deciding to take legal action against the sealing of KP House.

A petition was filed in the PHC against the decision to seal KP House, arguing that the House falls within the jurisdiction of the province.

It has been requested in the petition that the PHC should hear this petition.

Earlier, Advocate General KP said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House cannot be sealed under the guise of illegal construction.

He further said that he would request the court to open KP House, adding that the map of House was approved by Peshawar in 1975.

However, the PHC had directed the provincial government to approach the IHC against sealing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House Islamabad.

It is pertinent to note that on October 7, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad sealed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House for violation of building rules.

Special Magistrate Sardar Muhammad Asif sealed several blocks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, accompanied by Assistant Commissioner Abdullah.