IHC orders CDA to de-seal PTI Central Secretariat

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to unseal the central secretariat of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), giving relief to the former ruling party.
“CDA can take action strictly in accordance with law in case of any non-compliance or violation of applicable laws,” IHC Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz said in a six-page written order.
This is the second major relief for the party as the IHC on Monday overturned the conviction of jailed founder Imran Khan and party vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case containing allegations of misuse and misplacement of a classified diplomatic document.
The order stated that the CDA had issued notices and show cause notices to the previous owner in 2022 and 2023, however it did not provide an explanation for sending the notices.
The court in its order also said that there is no record of receipt of such notice or show cause notice. Besides, the CDA did not issue a preliminary notice to PTI before sealing its office.
The order also stated that the sealing order was not addressed to the petitioner or copied, let alone evidence of its delivery.
The development comes after the Imran Khan-founded party moved the IHC on May 24 seeking an order to unseal its central secretariat in the federal capital.
The CDA demolished part of PTI’s Central Secretariat for “violation of building rules”, drawing strong condemnation from the former ruling party.
The CDA said its anti-encroachment team has launched an operation to remove illegal constructions and encroachments.
In response, PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan filed a petition and became Home Secretary, Chief Commissioner, CDA Chairman and IG Islamabad parties in the case.
In his petition, the PTI leader said, “No order or any notice was ever served on the petitioner, thus the impugned act of the respondents is due to mala fide intention, extortion, without due process of law and violation of the principle of natural law. of justice and also contrary to Articles 4 and 10-A of the Constitution.”