Ministries, CDA issued notices: land allocation for US embassy challenged in SC

The Supreme Court Monday issued notices to four federal ministries along with Capital Development Authority (CDA) in response to a plea challenging allocation of 56 acres of land for extension of the United States of America (USA) Embassy in Islamabad. Senior advocate of the apex court Barrister Zafarullah had urged the apex court to issue stay order in the matter on the grounds that allocation of large chunk of land to the USA embassy in Islamabad poses threat to the security and sovereignty of Pakistan.
Appearing before a three-judge bench led by Justice Ijaz Afzal Khan the petitioner contended that allocation of the land to the US embassy in Islamabad was against Vienna Convention, which declared that allocation of land to diplomatic missions in a country should be same in size allocated to foreign mission of the host country.
A member of the bench Justice Qazi Faiz Isa plainly said the court has to examine the issue of jurisdiction in the current matter to which Barrister Zafarullah said the apex court cannot issue notice to the foreign mission but can seek report from the Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CDA. The bench issued notices to Secretaries of Ministry of Foreign Affaires, Interior, Defence, Law, Justice and Human Rights as well as the CDA in the matter and adjourned hearing of the case for an indefinite period.