ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a petition challenging the closure of Tandoori Junction, a private hotel in F-7 Markaz, and ordered all involved parties to respond to the court within 15 days.
Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case.
Advocate Qaiser Imam represented the petitioner Javed Asif, while Director General of Building Control Authority Faisal Naeem, Directorate of Municipal Administration (MDA) and Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) lawyer Yaqoob Mastoi, Deputy Director of CDA Raheel Junejo, CDA’s lawyer Shehryar Tariq, and Advocate Zaheer ud Din Babar appeared before the court representing a private hotel, Hill View.
During the hearing, Advocate Zaheer ud Din Babar requested that all related cases be heard together. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that the other cases were unrelated but agreed to combine them at Babar’s request.
The Chief Justice questioned the Capital Development Authority (CDA) about their actions, pointing out that they first sealed the hotel, labeled it illegal, and then ordered its closure. He also inquired whether Assistant Commissioner Farhan Ahmad had appeared before the court.
He also directed the CDA to justify these decisions and ordered all involved parties to submit their responses within 15 days.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Qaiser Imam, argued the court that the entire building of the nearby private hotel, Hill View, was constructed without CDA approval and violated building control rules. He added that parts of the property belonged to the CDA and the open-air section fell under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA).
Qaiser Imam also claimed that the construction of Hill View had breached building regulations, raising concerns about the legal status of the building. He requested the court to order the demolition of the hotel.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq asked the about the DMA’s representative, to which Advocate Sardar Yaqoob Mastoi responded that he was the official representative of DMA.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Farooq reprimanded the DG of the Building Control Authority, Faisal Naeem, and questioned the CDA’s legal authority to close Tandoori Junction, noting discrepancies between the three separate notices issued by the CDA, which were inconsistent with one another.
Meanwhile, the petitioner’s lawyer Qaiser Imam also pointed out that DG Faisal Naeem had held his position unlawfully for an extended period, alleging that his qualifications did not meet the required standards.
The court has ordered that Tandoori Junction remain open until the next hearing and sought responses from all parties involved.
