The Supreme Court has rejected the names for the management committee of Gun and Country Club, Islamabad. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case.

In the last hearing, the bench had asked the ministry to form a committee with the consent of club members, which should comprise active members. It directed the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry to constitute the Gun and Country Club Management Committee in two weeks. The deputy attorney general representing the federal government submitted the names of committee's members that will run the affairs of the club. However, the bench rejected it. Justice Bandial observed that the club assets were worth Rs 7 billion, therefore they did not like to give its affairs to those who had already created a mess. He asked whether government officials were included in the committee.

The deputy attorney general informed that its members were both from the private and some from public sector.

The judge observed that the government had done no planning regarding the club. "We want the government to take up this matter seriously and propose good names." Naeem Bukhari proposed some names. Justice Bandial said prima facie those names seemed reasonable. The court said that the present management would run the club's affairs for one month. Chairperson Pakistan Sports Board would be its acting chairman.

Former chief justice Saqib Nisar had handed over the possession of the venue to the PSB, which originally owns the land. The court noted that the club was established with the executive order and that does not have charter.

Through November 18, 2002 notification the establishment of the club in the PSB vicinity was approved by then General Pervez Musharraf.

The bench directed the federal government to propose new names for the management committee of the Gun and Country Club.

Justice Bandial said that the management committee would not be made on the wishes of anyone, adding that the court wanted that the federal cabinet should decide about the future of the club. The Gun and Country Club was established in 2002 at the foot of Shakarparian Hills. The club provides state-of-the-art rifle shooting facilities consisting of indoor and outdoor ranges. It is located within the area allocated to the Pakistan Sports Complex, just minutes away from Zero Point. The case was adjourned for a month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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