SC fines Punjab govt for unlawfully acquiring citizen's land
Pakistan
SC fines Punjab govt for unlawfully acquiring citizen's land
ISLAMABAD (APP) - The Supreme Court on Monday imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the Punjab government for unlawfully acquiring a citizen's land in 2007 to construct a road without obtaining permission or providing any compensation.
A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, presided over the case.
At the outset of the hearing, the CJP questioned how the provincial government had proceeded to build a road on someone's land without proper authorisation or compensation.
The petitioner neither gifted the land to the government, nor was it acquired in accordance with the law, he noted.
The court expressed displeasure with the additional advocate general of Punjab, asking why he had filed such a futile case. The CJP stated that public resources and court time were wasted on such false cases, sidelining genuine cases.
The court instructed the provincial government to pay Rs1 million as a fine to the citizen.
It is worth noting that the Punjab government had constructed a road on the land of Liaquat Ali in Gujranwala in 2007.
The appellate court and the high court had ruled in his favour, and the decisions were also upheld by the Supreme Court.
The court rejected the Punjab government’s appeal against its decision and ordered it to compensate the owner within 30 days based on the current market value of the land.
