IHC orders reopening of hotel

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered the reopening of a private hotel in F-7, and ordered the director general of building control at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to appear before the court in person to explain the reasons behind the shutdown.

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court heard a petition challenging the illegal closure of the hotel. The CDA had sealed the hotel on claims of legal violations.

Advocate Qaiser Imam represented the petitioner, Javed Asif, while Advocate Sardar Yaqoob Mastoi appeared on behalf of the CDA.

The Deputy Director of CDA, Raheel Junejo, was also present. During the hearing, Chief Justice Farooq questioned the legal basis for the hotel’s closure, pointing out that the three notices issued by the CDA were

inconsistent. He said that in the 2024 notice, the CDA had claimed the hotel was illegally reopened after being sealed in 2020; however, the notices from 2022 and 2023 had no mention of any hotel closure or related violations.

Justice Farooq reprimanded Deputy Director Raheel Junejo for his conduct in the case, saying that the file presented in court suggested that the hotel was unlawfully sealed, potentially at the request of a third party.

The judge asked Junejo to disclose who had ordered the closure, warning that failure to do so could lead to an investigation by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Justice Farooq admonished the officer for damaging the institution’s reputation, warning that he would recommend Junejo’s suspension to higher authorities.

Following the hearing, the court ordered the immediate reopening of the hotel and summoned the member state and director general of the building control authority to appear in person. The case was adjourned until next week.