ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah reprimanded on Friday officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) over their failure to provide compensation to people in lieu of land acquired in the federal capital.

“The state has failed to provide citizens its right,” said Justice Minallah while hearing case on the non-payment of compensation to victims of different villages in the federal capital.

He said that the CDA had failed to satisfy the court in the matter, adding that non payment of the admitted compensation was a violation of basic human rights.

The chief justice directed the CDA chairman to clarify why the compensation was yet to be paid. It is a grave issue, which is not being dealt in the manner that it should, he observed.

“These lands were acquired from the owners about forty years ago. Unfortunately, they are still waiting for the compensation,” Justice Minallah said, adding that the CDA had allotted 22,000 plots to its chairmen and members.

The court asked that whether contempt of court proceeding should be initiated against they CDA chairman.

“The CDA is serving others instead of the public,” Justice Minallah added.

The court then adjourned till September 16, and summoned the CDA chairman at the next hearing.

Shahbaz Gill case

The IHC fixed the hearing of Shahbaz Gill’s petition seeking post-arrest bail in the sedition case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shahbaz Gill.

Gill had approached the IHC for post-arrest bail in the sedition case against him. SHO Kohsar, City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza and others have been made parties in the petition.

The bail plea submitted to the court states that petitioner is the chief of staff of the former premier and PTI Chairperson Imran Khan. “He was examined by a medical board consisting of senior doctors of PIMS on August 17,” it stated and added that the accused was arrested by Kohsar Police Station on August 9.

It further appealed to the court to grant Gill post-arrest bail till the final decision of the case.