ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has initiated an inquiry into the allocation of official residences to retired civil servants, seeking records of house allotments to government employees in general.
The details suggest that the court is also examining allocations made under relaxed rules since January of the previous year.
Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC raised concerns during a hearing involving a petition filed by Sumaira Nazir Siddiqui, a member of the Anti-Dumping Tribunal.
Justice Sattar posed questions about the allotment process and directed the Ministry of Housing and Works to respond by the upcoming hearing on August 21.
The situation prompted concerns from government officials regarding potential violations of guidelines established by superior courts for official residence allotments.
In addition, the allegations surfaced that the general waiting list for housing was not being updated, particularly after the change in government following a no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan in April of the previous year.
Siddiqui, a retired civil servant who was reemployed in September 2019, had been allotted a house on November 21, 2022.
However, the allocation was abruptly canceled on August 2, 2023, without prior notification.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the Ministry of Law had suggested Siddiqui could be allotted accommodation in Category-I, which had previously been allotted to and occupied by her husband, a retired federal secretary.
Nonetheless, the Ministry of Housing canceled the allotment without any advance notice.
Moreover, the court has called on the Ministry of Housing to furnish a comprehensive report, including specific details about accommodations falling under Category-I.
The court also requested a list of accommodations in this category, as well as the categories of state officials eligible for state accommodation under Category-I in Islamabad.
Besides, the court further requested information regarding the list of eligible entities whose employees are qualified for official accommodation, as well as the federal government’s general waiting list maintained for this purpose since January 2021.
The details of accommodations allotted during the previous administration and a list of officials allotted government accommodation after superannuation were also demanded.
Justice Sattar noted that the case suggests potential discrimination by the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Law.
The court expressed concern that official accommodation allotment appears to be conducted with a lack of transparency and adherence to established rules.
Source: DAWN
