In a significant ruling on Friday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed housing societies located outside the metropolis to refrain from using the federal capital’s name. The verdict came as IHC Chief Justice, Arbab Muhammad Tahir, issued the order in response to a petition challenging the cancellation of housing society registrations.

Many of these societies have incorporated the term ‘Islamabad’ into their names, leading to potential misconceptions about their geographical location. The court emphasized that these societies must alter their project names to avoid any confusion regarding their placement within the limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Chief Justice Tahir stated that the objective could be achieved by rebranding the housing projects currently underway.

This name adjustment is intended to dispel the notion that these housing societies fall under Islamabad’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, the court instructed the societies to publish notifications in both national and international newspapers, at their own expense, clarifying that their projects are not situated within the Islamabad Capital Territory.

To ensure public awareness, enlarged versions of these notifications are required to be prominently displayed at visible locations within and outside the societies’ registered offices and project sites.

Additionally, the court mandated an inquiry by the Registrar to ascertain whether these societies were registered in Islamabad but launched projects in Punjab without obtaining land in the federal capital. This move could potentially be a way to bypass the restrictions imposed in Punjab. The Registrar’s investigation will focus on registration dates in relation to the Punjab ban implementation.

Source: ProPakistani