Guns and Country Club land regularisation in limbo

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has yet to regularise over 264 kanal of land acquired by the Guns and Country Club despite orders from the apex court.

The CDA along with its planning department DG Muhammad Arshad Chohan did not provide any information related to regularisation of the club’s land after The News approached them multiple times.

It is pertinent to mention here that Mr Chohan, when contacted at first by The News, said that the club was using delay tactics and have illegally acquired the land. “We have written dozens of letters to the club to regularise its land and pay the lease but they run away,” he said.

However, when The News insisted on showing the letters, the DG planning refused to show any proof of the letter or share minutes of any of the meetings with the club.

“What is your interest in this story. You people just like to dramatise,” asked Chohan.

Guns and Country Club management says that after orders from the apex court, it has reached out to the CDA and its DG planning multiple times to formally start the process of demarcation of land and its transfer to the club but the authority has not paid any heed yet.

Guns and Country Club administrator Nadeem Irshad Kiyani told The News that the club has no issue in regularising the acquired land and paying the lease but instead, the club is waiting for demarcation and formal transfer of the land by the CDA.

“Two meetings were done recently to formally start the process of demarcation of land and its transfer, we are ready to cooperate and have even reached out to the CDA DG planning. However, there is no response in this regard and nothing has been started yet,” club’s assistant secretary Shah Hussain told The News. “The CDA chairman, who is also one of the members of the board, does not even attend any of the meetings,” he added.

Club’s secretary Imran Afraz Khan when reached briefed this correspondent in depth about the issue.

He said that the Supreme Court vide Order dated 23.09.2020 directed that “let terms of occupation of CDA land by the club also be settled with the federal government”.

Further he said that the Supreme Court vide court order dated 28-11-2022 held that “the claim of CDA with regard to ownership of property is still outstanding. “Club is willing to discharge the liability provided CDA records the ownership of the property in the name of the club.”

The Gun and Country Club is now a legal entity established under Gun and Country Club Act 2023 passed by the Parliament.

The club management has been approaching the CDA for the last many years to settle the issue, said the secretary. This year in May, 2024, Club management requested the CDA to demarcate the area of the club, settle terms and conditions of lease, and formalise the same on payment of prescribed amount which the club is willing to pay once title of land is transferred in the name of the facility.

However, the CDA along with its planning department are not taking much interest in the issue, said the secretary.

While the formalities w.r.t. the above lease were in process, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, on a news clipping regarding above lease, took suo motu notice which was later converted in SMC No.14 of 2011.

The Supreme Court vide Order dated 09-07-2018 directed Survey General of Pakistan to conduct demarcation of the entire 145 acres which was given to PSB on which the shooting range had been built.

The report of Survey of Pakistan was submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. According to said report, only 33.273 acres area is under use of the club.