Islamabad administration has issued a notice to the Pakistan Navy Sailing Club to halt its illegal construction.
It has been reported that the club near the Lake View Park was inaugurated on July 10.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA), in a notification on July 13, said that the club was told to halt construction on September 17, 2019, and February 24, 2020.
“It has once again come to notice that illegal construction has resumed and the club has been made functional,” a notification read. “This is sheer violation of the CDA laws and it needs to be halted immediately.”
The CDA has instructed the club owners to stop the construction work. If, however, they fail to comply then the authority has threatened to “take action” over the demolition of the structure at the club’s risk and cost.
On the other hand, according to a letter written by the deputy chief of naval staff to the CDA chief in response to the authority’s first notice, it was informed that Navy Sailing Club was established in 1992 on the directives of then prime minister (PM).
The letter also annexed three directives of the PM Office but it is pertinent to clarify here that none of them confirms the formal allotment of land to Pakistan Navy. The first notification issued in 1991 states that chief of naval staff is appointed as patron in chief of all water sports in Pakistan. The second letter issued in 1992 was regarding the premier’s directions to develop water sports centres at six different locations of the country including Kunhar River, Tarbela Lake, F-9 Park, Rawal Dam, River Ravi in Lahore and Sukkur Barrage.
The third letter by the PM Office issued in 1994 is relatively more specific to the subject in which the premier has approved the development of a water sports centre at Rawal Lake. The letter states further that the centre will be developed by the chief of naval staff in his capacity as patron in chief for all water sports in Pakistan.
The finance division will provide the funds while cabinet division will authorise provision of land at Rawal Lake for the purpose, it adds.
