Park near Ishaq Dar’s house restored upon CJP’s orders

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LAHORE: A patch of a park, which had been uprooted to make a road leading to former finance minister Ishaq Dar's residence, has been restored to its original form, Geo News reported Saturday. 

On March 22, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar, had ordered  Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Zahid Akhtar Zaman to restore the park within 10 days. 

“The cost of rebuilding the park should be taken from Ishaq Dar,”  the CJP had remarked. 

CJP reprimands DG LDA for uprooting park on Ishaq Dar’s directions

DG LDA said Dar had directed him over the phone to make the road

While referring to Zaman, the chief justice had questioned with whose authority the LDA allowed the road to be built over the park.

“Ishaq Dar had requested to make the road outside his house wider for parking,” replied Zaman. The chief justice then asked if the former finance minister had sent an official written request to the authority, to which the DG replied: “Dar had directed me to make the road over the phone.”

The top judge then reprimanded the director general.  “What kind of officer are you? On just one phone call from a minister, you uprooted a park? You will have to pay the price. I won't let favouritism work here. You should be investigated as per NAB law.”

The DG then apologised unconditionally before the court, but the chief justice remarked: “The time for apologies has passed.”

Chief Justice Nisar then ordered Zaman to explain how the park was built in a written statement and submit it to court.