15/07/2022
ریاست کے اندر ریاست (state within a state )
اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ نے مارگلہ ہلز نیشنل پارک میں تعمیرات کو غیر قانونی قرار دینے کا تفصیلی فیصلہ جاری کر دیا عدالت نے نیوی گالف کورس کی تعمیر اور پاک فوج کے فارمز ڈائریکٹوریٹ کا مونال ریسٹورنٹ کے ساتھ لیز معاہدہ بھی غیر قانونی قرار دے دیا آرمڈ فورسز کو اپنے دائرہ کار سے باہر بالواسطہ یا بلاواسطہ کسی کاروباری سرگرمی میں حصہ لینے کا اختیار نہیں پاک بحریہ اور پاک فوج نے قانون اپنے ہاتھ میں لے کر نافذ شدہ قوانین کی خلاف ورزی کی ہے عدالت نے اپنے فیصلے میں لکھا کہ ریاست اور حکومتی عہدیداران کا فرض ہے کہ وہ مارگلہ ہلز کا تحفظ کرے آئین کے تحت تینوں مسلح افواج وفاقی حکومت کے ماتحت ہیں اور صدر پاکستان سپریم کمانڈر ہے آرمڈ فورسز کو اپنے دائرہ کار سے باہر بالواسطہ یا بلاواسطہ کسی کاروباری سرگرمی میں حصہ لینے کا اختیار نہیں آرمڈ فورسز کسی اسٹیٹ لینڈ کی ملکیت کا بھی کوئی دعویٰ نہیں کر سکتیں مسلح افواج کا کام بیرونی جارحیت سے ملک کا دفاع اور طلب کئے جانے پر سول اداروں کی معاونت ہےمسلح افواج دونوں ذمہ داریاں وفاقی حکومت کی اجازت سے سر انجام دے سکتی ہے خود سے نہیں مسلح افواج کی جانب سے قانون کی خلاف ورزی ان کا آئینی حلف توڑنا اور طے شدہ زمہ داریوں سے انحراف ہےآئین واضح ہے کسی بھی زمین کی خرید وفروخت یا لیز کا اختیار وفاقی حکومت کے پاس ہےآرمڈ فورسز ملکیت، حصول یا کسی اور صورت میں پراپرٹی کو ڈیل نہیں کر سکتیں جی ایچ کیو یا اسکا ڈائریکٹوریٹ آئین میں متعین کردہ حدود سے باہر زمین کی ملکیت، حصول یا دیکھ بھال نہیں کر سکتا
نوٹ! چیف جسٹس اطہر من اللہ بیرون ملک روانگی سے قبل 108 صفحات پر تفصیلی فیصلہ اپنے دستخطوں سے جاری کیا
ریاست کے اندر ریاست (state within a state )
Margalla Hills case: Army can't undertake commercial activities outside its domain, says IHC by Tahir Naseer, July 13, 2022
The Pakistan Army is not authorised or empowered to undertake commercial activities outside its domain for welfare purposes unless expressly permitted by the federal government, said the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) detailed judgement issued on Wednesday in a case pertaining to encroachments in Margalla Hills National Park.
In January, the IHC had ordered capital authorities to seal off Monal Restaurant and take control of the Margalla Greens Golf Club built on encroached land. It had also declared illegal the military’s claim to 8,000 acres of Margalla Hills National Park.
The decision to seal Monal Restaurant was later suspended by the Supreme Court in March.
In the case's 108-page detailed judgement issued today, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah noted that the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, the Air Force Act, 1953 and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961, were promulgated to regulate the respective branches of the armed forces and their discipline.
"The Pakistan Army has no power nor jurisdiction to, directly or indirectly, engage in business ventures of any nature outside its composition nor to claim the ownership of state land," the judgement said, adding that the military's constitutionally defined roles were to defend Pakistan and act in aid of civil power if called upon to do so.
"[Neither] the Pakistan Army nor its officers are authorised or mandated to undertake, directly or indirectly, any activity such as leasing government land for commercial purpose," the judgement said.
Regarding the military's claim to 8,000 acres, the detailed judgement said that it could not own or acquire land given for its use other than as provided under the Constitution and the relevant laws.
"[Neither] the Pakistan Army nor any other branch of the armed forces can claim the ownership of the land allocated by the federal government for its use."
The judgement said the military's stance regarding the claimed acres of land was "atrocious and in violation of the scheme of the Constitution and the applicable laws".
"It is disturbing to note that the enforced laws are being flagrantly violated by institutions in disregard to the scheme contemplated under the Constitution.
"The urge of state institutions to act as a state within the state is obvious from the above discussed facts," the judgement noted.
It said the acts and stances of the army had "profound consequences" for the rule of law. "They acted on their own and while doing so they have seriously undermined the rule of law in derogation to their declared functions under the Constitution.
"The sanctity of the protected and preserved notified area of the Margalla Hills has been desecrated," the judgement said.
The chief justice criticised state institutions for their "willful and brazen disregard and abuse of the enforced laws".
"The complacency of state institutions in environmental degradation and their willful disregard for the enforced laws have been obvious during these proceedings, while accountability seems to be alien in the system of governance practiced within the 1400 square miles of the Islamabad Capital Territory," he observed.
Justice Minallah added that the cases on which the judgement was based and their proceedings symbolised the role of state institutions in undermining the rule of law and refusing to protect the assets which belong to the people.
Regarding the Margalla Hills, the judgement said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) did not have the power or jurisdiction to interfere in matters pertaining to them and thus, commercial activities such as construction of buildings and food outlets were in violation of the relevant laws.
"Regrettably, most illegal encroachments in the notified area of the Margalla Hills have been made by state institutions/entities such as Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, etc. The CDA was either complacent or seemed to be helpless," the judgement pointed out.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1699409/margalla-hills-case-army-cant-undertake-commercial-activities-outside-its-domain-says-ihc
