CDA gives Fazlur Rehman's Islamabad residence 15 days to remove encroachments
The Capital Development Authority has issued a notice over alleged encroachments at the Islamabad residence of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. It gives 15 days for removal, failing which the building may be sealed or structures demolished.
- CDA notice gives 15 days to remove alleged encroachments and illegal construction
- Notice names a guard cabin, a generator and an additional kitchen
- Fazl's son Asjad Mahmood called the action retaliatory; Talal Chaudhry called it routine
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) issued a notice on Friday over alleged illegal construction and encroachments at the Islamabad residence of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, according to The Express Tribune and other outlets.
The notice was addressed to Amanullah, son of Muhammad Younis, who is identified as the building owner. It directs the removal of security guards' cabins and a generator installed on CDA land, and gives 15 days for the removal of encroachments.
It also describes an additional kitchen built within the premises as a violation of building regulations. The notice says that if the order is not followed, the building could be sealed or the unauthorised structures demolished.
The Express Tribune reported that the CDA had earlier directed the removal of encroachments from the residence on March 18, 2019.
Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, as reported by Daily Jang, said the notice was routine action under an anti-encroachment campaign across the capital. He also said Fazl must himself clarify his statement on martyrs and the state for the matter to move forward.
Asjad Mahmood, Fazl's son and a JUI-F leader, called the action retaliatory and linked it to his father's political differences with the government. He said: "Turning political differences into personal vendettas is a matter of concern." He also said: "When no response was received to the issue being raised, opponents resorted to cheap tactics."
According to The Express Tribune, Mahmood said the measures began after encroachments were pointed out to the Peshawar corps commander. Daily Pakistan Urdu reported that he urged JUI-F workers to remain informed and alert.
The notice comes amid tension between the government and Fazl. The Express Tribune reported that federal ministers criticised him a day earlier, and that he had accused the government of backtracking on negotiations after governor's rule was imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Why it matters
The notice shows how the CDA applies building and anti-encroachment rules in Islamabad to the home of a prominent party leader, at a time of political friction between his party and the government.
