Islamabad (Web Desk): The Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed the Central Secretariat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad and demolished part of the building for allegedly violating building bylaw.
According to details, the CDA officials arrived with heavy machinery at the PTI office located in a commercial building in G-8/4 sector late on Thursday night and removed encroachments and allegedly unauthorized constructions at the party office.
The office was then sealed for alleged violations of building bylaws and “non-conforming use”.
As per the CDA officials, the plot, situated in Sector G-8/4, had been encroached upon and unauthorized constructions were erected.
The plot where the said building was situated has been allotted to a man named Sartaj Ali, the statement said, adding the land adjacent to the officer belonged to the state, which was also “encroached upon”.
The statement added that an additional storey in the building was also constructed in violation of bylaws.
Originally, the plot was allotted to an individual named Sartaj Ali, and PTI allegedly took over the land and built on it illegally.
The CDA authorities claimed that despite multiple warnings and notices, the plot’s owner committed several violations.
The first notice was issued on November 19, 2020, followed by another on February 22, 2021. A final warning was given on June 14, 2022, and a show-cause notice on September 4, 2023, after the violations were not addressed.
Due to non-compliance with the orders, instructions were issued on May 10, 2024, to seal the property.
PTI’s Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan condemned the action and termed it a “targeted operation” against their party.
Talking to the media outside the office, Omar Ayub said that the party would raise the issue of the CDA in the assembly.
"The PTI condemns the CDA action in the strongest terms," he said, as he drew parallels to the operation to the onslaught of Israel on Gaza, where thousands have lost their lives and hunger is being used as a weapon.
Omar Ayub said that the city administration launched the operation at night without prior notice.
He added that police authorities arrested party leader Amir Mughal.
Following the completion of the operation, the CDA officials sealed the PTI's central office and also pasted the order on it.
