Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry on Monday expressed annoyance that no action has yet been taken against those involved in F-9 Park land scam, including former CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari. The three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, heard the case regarding implementation of court order pertaining to commercial activities in Public Park.
Earlier, on June 4, the Supreme Court, in its verdict on Saadia Abbasi's petition, had declared the establishment of a restaurant (McDonalds) at Fatima Jinnah Park contrary to various provisions of the Constitution and CDA rules and had directed to take action against the responsible officials of CDA for leasing public land of F-9 Park (Fatima Jinnanh Park) for 33 years at a very nominal price to Siza Foods (franchise holder of McDonalds) in a non-transparent manner.
The counsel for Capital Development Authority (CDA) told the bench that plea against Kamran Lashari was already lodged with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 17. However, the bureau has not given a formal reply so far.
Justice Chaudhry said a large number of pleas were pouring in the court against corruption in CDA and several cases in this regard are being heard by the courts. "There must be an end to corruption in public sector organisations, as it (corruption) is something which cannot be ignored," he remarked. Additional Attorney General K K Agha told the bench that the park's leased land was 1.25 acres and not, as mistakenly advertised, 2 acres.
On this, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday said the court is scandalised, adding, 'do you want to give the impression that Lashari gave out a portion of land but the court wants to give more.' The court stopped Kamran Lashari's counsel Hafeez Pirzadah from giving arguments.
Contempt of court case against CDA was filed by former PML-N Senator Saadia Abbasi. She contended in her petition that the CDA was not implementing in letter and spirit the decisions of the apex court pertaining to the removal of commercial activities such as various restaurants and the Nazaria-e-Pakistan Council from the F-9 Park, also known as the Fatima Jinnah Park.