MUZAFFARABAD:
Chief Justice of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court (AJKSC) Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan on Tuesday ordered Mirpur’s municipal authorities to enforce a ban on commercial construction in residential areas and to immediately stop illegal encroachments on green belt land.
Presiding over proceedings at the Supreme Court Branch Registry in Mirpur, the chief justice was hearing multiple cases, including one filed against the city’s mayor.
He expressed strong concern over the unchecked conversion of land meant for parks and green belts into commercial use, reportedly with the approval of officials from the Municipal Corporation and the Mirpur Development Authority (MDA).
Justice Akram expressed displeasure with the mayor and asked, “Why shouldn’t you be disqualified from your position due to this negligence, carelessness and unlawful conduct?”
The court reprimanded the mayor and ordered him to submit a detailed report explaining under which legal authority or provisions commercial activities were permitted on green belt areas, and why tuck shops and other ventures were allowed on such plots.
The court stressed that these actions constituted a clear violation of previous court orders and directives.
The mayor was further instructed to halt and remove all unauthorised commercial activities and constructions established on green belts and residential plots without delay.
In addition, all officials of the municipal corporation and the MDA were directed to provide a detailed report on the total area allocated for View Point Park, specifying how much land had been encroached upon and the extent of unauthorised construction carried out there.
The director estate of the MDA was specifically barred from approving the construction of any further commercial buildings or structures, particularly in residential areas.
The court asserted that under no circumstances should commercial activity be permitted in zones designated for housing.
The court was also informed that some residential plots had been illegally converted into commercial plots in violation of rules and regulations.
While completed or ongoing constructions on such plots will not be affected at this stage, the court strictly ordered that no new commercial construction be allowed on recently converted plots, even if the allottees possessed construction permits issued by the authority.
It was noted that the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Mirpur Division had previously been summoned and reprimanded, with instructions to ensure the removal of all illegal constructions and encroachments under their supervision.
The case was adjourned for further proceedings. Those present in court included the mayor of Municipal Corporation Mirpur, Chaudhry Usman Khalid, Raja Humayun Razaq (Estate Officer, Municipal Corporation Mirpur), Chaudhry Amjad Iqbal (Director Estate, MDA) and Mirza Kaleem (Admin Officer, MDA).
