Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation | Pakistan

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday ordered the government to dissolve the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and transfer its powers to the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (MCI), according to a court order seen by Dawn.com. Established in 1960, the CDA is a civic organisation tasked with the development of the federal capital. The authority’s official website said that it plays a “pivotal role in the sustainable development and management” of the city. A day earlier, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard two writ petitions challenging a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) issued by the CDA in 2015 imposing Direct Access and Right of Way (ROW) charges on petrol pump/CNG stations located on major roads in Islamabad. Today’s judgment said that the CDA charged the petitioners an amount of Rs337,442,856 for payment “under ROW charges”. It said that the “issuance of SRO constitutes an illegal act and is unconstitutional” under Article 77 of the Constitution, which directs that taxation powers must be exercise...