CJP summons report on land acquisition for SCBA housing society in six weeks

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar summoned on Thursday a detailed report over the land acquisition for the Supreme Court Bar Association Housing Society (SCBAHS) in six weeks.

A four-member bench of the apex court’s Lahore Registry, headed by Chief Justice Nisar, heard the case pertaining to the construction of the housing society for the legal fraternity.

During the court proceedings, the CJP inquired about the progress in acquiring land for the housing society. Replying to him, a public lawyer shared that steps are being taken to attain land for the society.

Chief Justice Nisar further remarked: “The court orders are not being implemented strictly.” He directed the relevant authorities to not take the land of any person who is unwilling just to make lawyers happy. “We shouldn’t get complaints that land was taken forcibly,” the top judge asserted.

It seems as if the Islamabad administration is upset with lawyers, which is why they keep engaging in delay tactics, observed Chief Justice Nisar.

Moreover, the president of Supreme Court Bar Association shared with the court that Rs5 billion has been collected for the housing society, adding that 8,200-Kanal land is needed for the society.

On November 21, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench, headed by Justice Athar Minallah, had issued a stay after in respect of a Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) notification dated October 28, 2016 for acquiring land for the Supreme Court Bar Association Housing Society (SCBAHS).

The petition, which was filed by the Government Officers Cooperative Farming Society, through their counsel Saeed Khurshid Ahmed, had stated that the SCBAHS had acquired 8,194 Kanals and 15 Marlas of land in Mouza Tamma and Mohrian situated in Zone-IV of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in contravention of the Land Acquisition Act 1984 (LAA), and due procedure of law.