The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to de-seal the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central secretariat with immediate effect after the party agreed to comply with building control regulations within one week of the order.
The development comes only a week after the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) closed the building in Sector G-8/4 of the federal capital.
The MCI sealed the premises last week, on July 23, for violating the Islamabad Building Standards for Fire Prevention and Life Safety 2010, after sending a notice to the PTI Secretariat the day before.
The PTI contended in their plea against the sealing of the party's office in Islamabad that the building was sealed without prior notice and "as such without lawful authority."
The court ruled that the CDA "failed to show an iota of evidence that there was any 'emergent situation' requiring inspection of the building."
The IHC overturned the MCI's July 22 ruling to seal the PTI office after Imran Khan's party agreed with the city's development authority to follow building regulations.
The court also instructed the political party to take preventive fire-fighting precautions on the premises. The IHC further stated that the PTI agreed with the local government to install fire extinguishers on each floor of the structure.
The IHC stated a gas leakage detector would be installed to safeguard the building's kitchen, and the structure would be properly wired. The previous ruling party will also install a separate water tank for firefighting purposes, as well as a fire pump set and a manual fire alarm system on the roof.
It should be noted that the federal capital's government demolished a piece of the party's secretariat in May this year due to a "violation of building rules" as part of its anti-encroachment operation to eradicate unlawful construction and encroachment in the city.