SC summons CDA chairman over water Shortage in Islamabad

The Supreme Court (SC) summoned the Islamabad Capital Development Authority chairman over water shortage case in Islamabad on Friday.

A bench headed by the chief justice of Pakistan heard the case on suo motu notice over water scarcity in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

During the hearing, the chief justice asked that were all the owners of tube wells appeared before court. To reply, the additional attorney informed the court that eight alleged owners of tube wells and officials from the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad were present in the court.

The chief justice remarked that this is not right of any private person to acquire water from the earth for free and selling to residents of the federal capital. He said that water shortage was mainly being caused by the owners of tube wells.

The alleged owner of tub well Malik Ibrar said that he was not owner of any tube well, to reply, the chief justice said that his statement noted so that if anything come in surface regarding this matter, the court of contempt case would be filled.

However, another alleged owner of tube well Zamurd khan requested the court to issue orders for supply of water through alternate sources before the tube wells are closed down as Cantonment Board and Capital Development Authority were not cooperating with each other over the issue.

On the occasion, the CJP replied that water shortage was mainly being caused by the owners of tube wells. Saqib Nisar directed to the representative of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, who was present in the court, that they would impose taxes on the use of tube wells.

The representative of corporation told that they were thinking about to levy the tax. The CJP replied that why everything has been sought after the notice of the SC. When asked how many days the authority would take to levy the tax, the representative sought 15 days.

The chief justice sought details on tube wells from CDA, Cantonment Board and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad. He also ordered reply on the issue from the executive office of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and managing director of Water and Sanitation Authority within 10 days. The chief justice also summoned the CDA chairman.