ISLAMABAD - Hurdles in expansion of Federal Government Services Polyclinic Hospital (FGSPH) are still not over, as the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has now dumped a large quantity of soil in the Argentina Park, allotted to the hospital, officials said on Friday.

Supreme Court (SC) in previous month had vacated the legal stay on Argentina Park and allowed the government to expand the Polyclinic hospital on 2.5acres land.

“However, just after fifteen days of the verdict, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad  encroached into the park and dumped soil there brought in trucks,” said a senior official of the polyclinic hospital.

Official added that Capital Development Authority (CDA) has received the payment of the Argentina Park and the hospital owns all property rights of the park.

Official said that MCI staff that brought the large vehicles of soil had said that the work has been started to raise the ground level of the park.

“It was complete violation of SC order as the park was allotted for the expansion of the hospital,” said the official.  He also added that when MCI staff was asked to read the SC order given in this regard, they hesitated and left the park.

“It was an illegal act by MCI and they dumped huge quantity of soil without any reason,” he said.

The official also added that hospital management suspects that MCI’s act will create next hurdle in the expansion of the hospital and the project may be further delayed.

“MCI or no other department is allowed doing it as the property belongs to the hospital,” said official.

Official said that hospital administration is mulling to arrange groundbreaking ceremony soon for the expansion of the hospital.

Spokesperson Polyclinic hospital Dr Sharif Astori confirmed the incident and said that MCI had dumped the soil in the premises of the Argentina Park which was declared as property of the hospital.

He said that SC had vacated the stay on the Argentina Park and there is no legal hurdle of owning the property rights of this Park.

He also said that hospital management will construct a boundary wall around the Park to ensure its possession on it.

SC had vacated the stay on the Argentina Park after three years legal battle between government and a local resident of the G-6.

Official informed that the PC-II of Rs48million was approved by the government for the hospital expansion but the project didn’t initiate due to stay order issued by Islamabad High Court (IHC).

He said that previous government didn’t allocate funds in its last budget as the matter was in court and there was dim chance of its resolution.

“However, now hospital will ask the ministry to allocate supplementary grant for the expansion of the hospital,” said the official. 

Official added that the expansion of the hospital wills double the capacity of the hospital and it will have 1,100 beds from 550.

Official said that new building will include basements and parking, while the old building will be also reconstructed.  “It was difficult to reconstruct the current building without have extended block of the hospital,” said the official.

Mayor MCI Sheikh Anser Aziz said the hospital was allotted a portion of the plot and there is also a fence separating the hospital area.

However, when he was informed that the soil was dumped in the area allotted to the hospital, mayor said that he will check it with the relevant department and look into the matter. 

Spokesperson CDA Safdar Shah denied that the soil was dumped by CDA in Argentina Park.

He said the Capital Development Authority has completed the allotment procedure of the Argentina Park and now it is in possession of Polyclinic hospital.