The Islamabad High Court here on Wednesday vacated a stay it had granted earlier on construction work by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a park located in Sector F-8. The Single Bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam heard a writ petition filed by eleven residents of the sector in which they alleged that CDA was using the park for commercial purposes.
Barrister Masroor Shah and Musarat Abbasi advocate appeared for CDA and apprised the court that construction activity was not carried out for any commercial purpose. They said the CDA was developing a cricket ground in the park. The court was told that for the construction of 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue, two cricket grounds were consumed and CDA was willing to develop a cricket ground with all facilities somewhere in the city.
Moreover, all the environmental concerns were also given priority during the execution of the project, the lawyers said. They produced pictures of the park and alleged that the petitioners themselves had encroached upon the land allocated for the purpose.
On April 23, the same bench had restrained the CDA from carrying on the work in the park. The petitioners had apprised the court that a class "A" park was being converted into a commercial hub by CDA which was demolishing trees and harming the environment.