ISLAMABAD - A constitutional petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to restrain the authorities from constructing huge building structure and secret bunkers in the basement of American Embassy’s premises.
Lt Col (Retd) Inam-ul-Rehim filed the petition under Article 199 of the Constitution and made chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), secretaries ministries of interior, foreign affairs, and defence and US embassy management through ministry of foreign affairs.
His point is that the US government is bent upon to weaken Pakistan and destroy or to take over the possession of its atomic assets. He prayed the court to withdraw the extra land provided to the US embassy beyond its needs. He also prayed that a high-level commission be constituted comprising persons of high repute from retired judges of Supreme Court or High Courts, lawyers of high repute and civil engineers to visit the site of US embassy building and submit a detailed report before the apex court.
He requested to reconsider the plans and design of the buildings to be constructed through a panel of engineers to be nominated by PEC and Council of Architects and Town Planners with the collaboration of commission. In the petition he stated that according to CDA the US State Department has begum constriction of building of new Embassy compound in Islamabad. The new embassy compound will replace all existing facilities and infrastructure on present embassy ground in the same location. “The US has already raised the level of its manpower to such an extent as if a mini-state is being constructed in our state,” he said and added that the US is expanding its mission in Islamabad fortified embassy compound by spending over a $1 billion on its construction. The buildings being constructed are very huge structures including many multi-storey buildings. The design and the structure approved by the CDA appear to be much larger than the requirements of embassy personnel. The buildings consist of huge basement, seven-storey new office buildings measuring 331,424sft, seven-storey new office annex measuring 148,432.30 sq ft, single-storey guard house measuring 4,337.85 sq ft, three storey support annex office measuring 79,252.20 sq ft, a basement plus two-storey residence building measuring 30,747,33 sq ft, and two basement plus four-storey consular annex building measuring 127,062 sq ft.
Lt Col (Retd) Inam-ul-Rehim said that the Americans want to build a seven-floor building, which could house 7,000 US personnel. He claimed that the CDA has conveyed on January 10, 2012 its approval to the US embassy for the construction of 16 new buildings with covered area of 1,734,212.23 sq ft. He stated that after the allotment of more land to the US Embassy, its total area would increase up to 56 acres of land, which is more than White House that consists of 51 acres of land.