Islamabad, Aug 23 (TIWN) Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Pakistan's Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), has defended the construction of a ‘luxury club, terming it a sports facility that had been established on the federal governments directive after obtaining approval of environmental experts.

CNS Zafar Mahmood Abbasi in a written report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) through counsel Ashtar Ausaf Ali and Raja Zahoorul Hassan asserted that the National Water Sports Centre (NWSC) was “neither a club in the traditional sense nor is it a commercial enterprise”.

While allowing naval officials to resume maintenance and repair of boats, the IHC had recently extended its stay order against all commercial activities in the club till September 9.