ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has
expressed his wonder as how a 28-kanal government plot was doled out to
a private (telecom) company that was allowed to supervise and run the
Islamabad Gun Club which is a public (government) priority.
Adjourning
the case for two weeks, the apex court summoned the club’s
administrators along with CDA and a private telecom company
representative to bring all the relevant records.
Chief Justice
gave these remarks while heading a 3-member bench that was hearing the
suou motu case with regard to handing over the club to the private
telecommunication company.
CDA counsel Ramzan Chaudhry told
that 4-Acres land was allotted to Sports Board in 1977. On this the
chief justice said only sports club was competent to run the gun club.
He inquired about the status of those presently running the club. The
chief justice said CDA had not received a single penny for doling out
precious land to a private company. He asked where money earned from
the membership fees had gone. The chief justice said the club had
membership of over 600,000 but no record was presented before the court
regarding utilization of this money.
He remarked that on the
72-acre land a private company cannot establish its office. He
expressed his wonder that in the amended agreement between the said
company and the CDA the word ‘gun’ had been omitted. “How a shooting
club can be converted into a country club,” the CJ asked.
Upon
this Ramzan Chaudhry said recently 28-acre land was given to the
shooting club which is being used by the club as security zone. He said
the members enjoyed themselves facilities including swimming and others
in that safety zone and in 2011 the status of the club was changed. On
this the chief justice said the government itself should move forward
and hand it back to the sports club. Telecommunication Company’s
counsel said the company had nothing to do with administration of the
club it had only put up its boards for advertisement purpose only.
After listening to the counsels, the court adjourned the case for two
weeks. Online
