A heavy police contingent arrived at Constitution Avenue to vacate a building located on Constitution Avenue. During the operation, doors of several apartments in the building were broken open.
According to media reports, orders to vacate the building were issued late at night. A resident stated that police officials were instructing occupants to leave the premises by this evening.
It is worth noting that the Islamabad High Court had previously dismissed petitions seeking the cancellation of the building’s lease.
The Capital Development Authority had, in 2005, leased 13 acres of land to a company for 99 years for the construction of a luxury hotel. The land was allocated to Bismillah Company; however, residential apartments were later constructed on the site.
An inquiry had found these apartments to be illegal, although the court later regularised them.
Subsequently, the Islamabad High Court dismissed petitions against the lease cancellation. Following this, a heavy police presence reached the building last night and instructed residents to vacate the premises immediately. In some cases, apartment doors were forcibly broken.
Residents have been told to leave the building by this evening, as the lease has been cancelled and they are no longer permitted to reside there.
