ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will resume contempt of court proceedings against the brother of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Friday (today) over illegal allotment of official residence to him.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar on Sept 19 issued show cause notice to Raziq Sanjrani under contempt of court law as he could not file satisfactory reply in response to the notice issued to him seeking an explanation for allotment of a Category-1 house to him from the pool of the Estate Office. The house is meant for civil servants only.

Justice Sattar initiated the contempt proceeding against Sanjrani while hearing the petition of Sumaira Nazir Siddiqui who challenged that the Housing Ministry had arbitrarily cancelled her allotment.

In the order sheet, the judge noted that the “subject-matter of the petition relates to illegal allotments made under the Accommodation Allocation Rules, 2002… allocations made and/or cancelled on the basis of extraneous considerations such as favoritism and nepotism and allotments made in disregard of the General Waiting List (GWL) or to individuals who were not entitled.”

The judge observed that “it emerged from the reports filed in the Court that prima facie allotments have been made in disregard of the Rules.”

The judge noted that reports filed also reflected that Mohammad Raziq Sanjrani was allotted government accommodation in Category Type-I in his capacity as Managing Director of Saindak Metals Limited, Balochistan, under rule 12 of the Rules on December 11, 2019 and is entitled to retain such accommodation till March 04, 2046.

In response to the court’s query, secretary housing could not give plausible reason for entitlement of Mr Sanjrani to Category Type-I accommodation and how he qualifies as a federal government servant under the rules.

On Sept 9, Justice Sattar impleaded Sanjrani as party in the petition and issued him notice.

Sanjrani on the other hand raised objections on the petition and stated he was not a respondent in the petition, it was filed against the cancellation of the allotment, the high court judge could not initiate suo motu proceeding, therefore, the matter regarding his allotment could not be examined.

Justice Sattar observed that “the subject-matter of the petition requires a comparison of like cases of allotment of government accommodation in Category Type-I” and “Mr Sanjrani was issued a notice to inquire into his entitlement as the report filed by the Ministry of Housing and Works reflects that while being an employee of Saindak Metals Limited, Balochistan, he has been treated as a grade-22 Federal Government Servant without justification.”

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) questioned allotment of official accommodation to retied civil servants and sought the record related to allotment of government houses especially during the period of outgoing PML-N led coalition government.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar raised certain questions on allotment of government accommodations on the petition filed by Sumaira Nazir Siddiqui, Member Anti-Dumping Tribunal and directed the Ministry of Housing and Works to file response on the next date of hearing on Aug 21.

The court has sought record related to allotments in general and those made in relaxation of rules since January last year in particular.

Earlier last month, during the hearing of the same petition, Justice Sattar questioned the Ministry of Housing and Works for not providing the government accommodation to three judges of the IHC and termed it tantamount to “undermining the independence of the judiciary.”

Justice Sattar, Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz have not yet been given possession of the official accommodation.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023