ISLAMABAD: Capital police have booked over two dozen residents of River Garden Housing Society under several criminal charges after they staged a protest against the police for what they alleged was `illegal occupation` of the society`s community centre for establishing a police station.

A case was registered with Lohi Bher police station against three nominated and 25 unidentified persons.

On January 6, residents of River Garden Islamabad staged a protest against the capital police for allegedly occupying the community centre and demanded the interior minister and inspector general of police to take immediate action and get the building vacated.

`We are peaceful citizens, and we demand that our community centre be returned to us.

The police have no right to occupy our space, and we will continue the protest until theyleave,` the residents said, demanding that the police station be shifted outside the housing society.

Following the protest, Lohi Bher police registered the case against the protesting residents.

According to the FIR, the CDA had allotted land measuring five kanals for Lohi Bher police station where construction was in progress.

About 28 people armed with batons came to the plot and stopped the construction work and took away 10 bundles of barbed wires and 10 sacks of cements, it said, adding that they also damaged 36 pillars and threatened the labourers with dire consequences Regarding the setting up of the police station,the developer of the housing society had written to the CDA chairman, who is also the chief commissioner, requesting him to get the community centre vacated from the police.

The letter, written last month, stated `We have received CDA`sletter under reference on the subject with a proposal for locating Lohi Bher police station in the area reserved for public buildings in River Gardens Housing Scheme (RGHS).

It further said the RGHS residents had expressed strong reservations at the said proposal, adding that the RGHS was a gated community and the rights of entrance were reserved only to residents, majority of whom were from KRL, Nescom and defence forces, and their relevant staff.

Earlier, the CDA had sent a letter to the society, in which it stated that upon the request of Assistant Inspector General of Police General and Development, the competent authority had decided to allocate land for establishment of police stations in various approved housing societies.

Accordingly, the CDA Board, in its meeting on July 12, 2024, approved the allocation of land measuring 4.5 kanals (earmarked for public building/community centre) in RGHS forestablishment of police station.

Meanwhile, the residents of the society approached the lower courts and submitted a petition. In response, the court of Senior Civil Judge Malik Aman issued an order restraining the defendants from harassing and pressurising the plaintiffs without due course of law.

Besides, the defendants and respondents were summoned on January 24.

When contacted, CDA spokesman Shahid Kiani said the matter was still in process and the civic body had another suitable location. He said the society was bound to provide land for public building as per bylaws.

Assistant Inspector General of Police General and Development Abdul Haq Umrani, when contacted, told Dawn that the police had requested the CDA for land and in response the authority allotted it proposed site for the police station.

The land allotted to the police was owned by the CDA and not the housing society, he added.