The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a scathing verdict on increasing crime, abductions and land-grabbing activities in the federal capital, saying that government ministries and state institutions are involved in “illegal real estate business”.
IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah issued the remarks in a five-page order pertaining to the rise in said cases in Islamabad.
It also noted that the involvement of state institutions and ministries in real estate business raised “questions of conflict of interest”.
“Land-grabbing crimes are on the rise in Islamabad,” said the IHC top judge in the verdict, adding that reports were indicating how much corruption had made its way into the system.
He warned that the system was on the “verge of collapse”.
“Islamabad’s powerful elite is directly responsible for flouting laws,” said Justice Minallah. He added that there was no harm in saying that the “state has failed” to protect the common citizens.
The verdict also said that an alarming law and order situation in Islamabad was “unacceptable”.
“Institutions set up to protect fundamental rights of citizens are directly or indirectly involved in breaking the law,” noted the court.
