ISLAMABAD: Police and local authorities partially demolished a part of PTI’s central secretariat building in Islamabad before sealing the premises for allegedly violating building bylaw.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials arrived with heavy machinery at the PTI office located in a commercial building in G-8/4 sector late on Thursday night.

They razed two containers parked outside the building and a guard room and removed a fence allegedly erected on the civic body’s land.

The office was then sealed for alleged violations of building bylaws and “non-conforming use”.

PTI’s Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan condemned the action and termed it a “targeted operation” against their party.

While talking to the media, Mr Ayub likened CDA’s “operation” with the actions of Israeli forces against the Palestinians.

He said since the founding chairman Imran Khan’s vision and struggle for the rule of law did not suit the government, the party was “being targeted”.

He said if there were any violations, CDA should have given the party some hours for removal of the structure.

In a statement, CDA and district administration officials said the operation removed “encroachment” made by a political party.

The plot where the said building was situated has been allotted to a man named Sartaj Ali, the statement said, adding the land adjacent to the officer belonged to the state, which was also “encroached upon”.

An additional storey in the building was also constructed in violation of bylaws.

The CDA claimed that several notices were issued to the owner in 2020, 2021 and the latest in September 2023, but the proprietor “did not pay any heed” to the notices.

Orders were issued to seal the building on May 10 for violations of building bylaw and encroachment, the statement added.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2024