In a landmark judgement issued on Friday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered housing societies outside of the city to stop using the name of the federal capital. In a ruling that challenged the cancellation of housing society registrations, IHC Chief Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir made the judgement.
The widespread use of the word “Islamabad” in the names of these communities may confuse outsiders about where they are located. The court ruled that these organisations must rename their projects to clear up any ambiguity about whether or not they fall within the jurisdiction of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Housing societies can’t use fake name
Chief Justice Tahir has remarked that the goal is achievable through renaming the housing developments that are already in progress. The change in nomenclature is an effort to eliminate the false impression that these HOAs are under the control of Islamabad. The societies were also ordered by the court, at their own expense, to notify national and international newspapers that their initiatives do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Larger versions of these notifications must be posted in conspicuous locations, both within and outside the societies’ registered offices and project sites, to raise public awareness. The court also ordered the Registrar to investigate whether the organisations had been registered in Islamabad but had begun their projects in Punjab before acquiring appropriate land in the nation’s capital. This action may provide an alternative route around Punjab’s prohibitions. The Registrar’s inquiry into the Punjab ban’s execution will centre on registration dates.
To read our article about “Namira Salim, 1st Pak’s astronaut, flies the flag in space” click here..
