ISLAMABAD: Three government officials, who were ejected from the family suites of a government-run hostel in the capital, have alleged that several other parliamentarians and government officials are occupying suites without proper authorisation and do not pay hostel bills either.

According to a list submitted to the Islamabad High Court, prominent names such as Senate Chairman Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and former National Assembly deputy speaker Faisal Kundi had been allotted family suite numbers 32, 13, 11 and 14, respectively, at the Old MNA Hostel on Ataturk Avenue.

The three officials, Workers Welfare Fund Director General Abdul Hameed Jamani, director Abdul Salam Sheikh and Capital Development Authority Assistant Director Usman Rashid had challenged their expulsion from the hostel, before the IHC, through their counsels Niazullah Khan Niazi and advocate Sher Afzal.

The Old MNA Hostel is managed by CDA and the list submitted by the petitioners in court was also prepared by a CDA deputy director who is the hostel’s caretaker.

According to the list, Council of Islamic Ideology member Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, ex-MNAs Nawabzada Ghazanfer Gul, Imtiaz Ali Shah and Ali Abdullah and Abdul Hameed Abbasi, lawyers Sajjid Tareen and Misbah-ul-Hassan and Zebunnisa of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) were also living in the hostel without any entitlement.

In addition, the ejected officers alleged that these ‘squatters’ owed the hostel management large sums of money in unpaid bills.

According to the list, Faisal Kundi owes Rs99,333, Nayyer Bokhari owes Rs54,354, Attock MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed owes Rs32,000, and NDMA’s Zebunnisa owes the hostel Rs112,825.

On Thursday, advocate Niazi told the court that under allotment rules, lawmakers who were not from out-of-station were not allowed to occupy the family suites. Similarly, under the rules anyone who defaulted on their payments was no longer entitled to retain their suites.

Parliamentarians were only entitled to lodging in Parliament Lodges, but occupied extra rooms in the Old MNA Hostel as well.

The counsel for CDA told the court that the petitioners were not entitled to rooms and were allowed to stay in the hotel for a limited period.

He said the parliamentarians living at the hostel lawfully allotted rooms because of a shortage of space at the Parliament Lodges.

“The petitioners’ departments are responsible to provide them housing,” he added.

After hearing both sides, IHC Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi reserved judgement, to be announced later.