ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed to seal the Pakistan Navy Sailing Club in the capital territory.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the directive while hearing a plea against Navy Sailing Club. The court directed the Interior Ministry secretary to get the Navy club sealed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The court ordered the CDA chairman and its board members to submit affidavits in this regard. The high court wondered that why a legal action should not be taken against the CDA’s alleged negligence. It asked to satisfy it on the next hearing on under what authority the Pakistan Navy was running a commercial project.

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The IHC also directed to put the matter before the federal cabinet.

A member of the CDA board said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had allowed construction near Rawal Lake. Upon which, Justice Athar Minallah queried that where the allotment letter of Islamabad land was.

The IHC chief justice said that if the club was not sealed than the cabinet secretary should appear before the court in the next hearing for justification of the act.

Earlier this month, the authorities had issued a notice to the Pakistan Navy Sailing Club to halt the illegal construction.

Lake View Park was inaugurated on July 10. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had said in a notification which was issued on 13th July that earlier the club was also told to halt construction on September 17, 2019 and February 24, 2020.

According to the notification, “It has once again come to notice that illegal construction has resumed and the club has been made functional. This is a sheer violation of the CDA laws and it needs to be halted immediately.”