Evacuee properties now become public properties: LHC
The court observed that under the Act, the evacuee properties have stood transferred to the government which has also a limited jurisdiction to utilize such land only for the public purposes.
The Evacuee Property now do not fall within the jurisdiction of chief settlement commissioner or any authorized officer or the full board of the revenue board to decide its permanent disposal in any manner the court added.
The court also observed that the superior courts have also settled this issue that the evacuee property, either urban or agricultural, can only be disposed of by the authorities through public auction.
The court passed this order in a petition in which the petitioners claimed that their predecessor Noor Muhammad had purchased land in question from one Abdul Sattar
The court set aside the petition and observed that decision of the chief settlement commissioner allowing the appellant to purchase the land in question on market price is a violation of law for being a kind of a private treaty.
The court held that the chief settlement commissioner has no jurisdiction to sell the evacuee land through private treaty as the only mode for disposal of the state assets is the public auction.
The court said as far as the claim of the petitioners who asserted to be bona fide subsequent purchasers of the property in question is concerned, the petitioners are subsequent purchasers of the evacuee property from Abdul Sattar whose allotment was cancelled and the land was resumed, the court added.
The court said the petitioners claimed that their predecessor Noor Muhammad purchased land from Abdul Sattar but to prove their assertion, no document was produced, the court added.
The court said the petitioner has not been able to point out any illegality or material irregularity in the impugned order and has also not identified any jurisdictional defect calling for interference by this court.
The court said the land in question is admittedly a public property and the courts of law are custodian of the public properties, and it is the duty of the courts to be very careful and cautious that no mischief is being played with the state assets, the court added.
The object is to eliminate the nefarious elements of favouritism, nepotism and the corrupt practices as well as to provide a fair equitable opportunity to every citizen of Pakistan to take advantage from public assets, the court concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
‘Population projected to reach 385m by 2050'
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal revealed that Pakistan's population has surpassed 241 million and is projected to reach 385 million by 2050. While addressing the 'National Workshop on Population and Development' on Friday, he said that the population issue is not merely about numbers, but directly linked to the country's development and future. 'We must decide whether we want to raise generations that are hungry, sick, and intellectually weak, or healthy, strong, and intelligent,' he stated. 'Our religion does not oppose family planning,' he stressed, adding that in today's world, a nation's real strength lies not in numbers but in intellectual capacity. The minister warned that rapid population growth poses serious threats to employment, public health, food security, and water resources. He emphasised that balancing the number of children with available resources can improve their health. Iqbal urged the federal and provincial governments to ensure policy continuity and equitable resource distribution. He said that the recommendations from today's consultations would become part of a practical framework. He called for increasing women's participation in the workforce to 50 per cent and expressed commitment to act on the dialogue's recommendations on population. The minister further informed that, on the prime minister's instructions, a committee has been formed to address the population issue, with consultations to be held with all provinces. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
CJP's pension reaches Rs2.39m in 2024; Senate told
ISLAMABAD: In a startling disclosure, the government informed the Senate on Friday that the pension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan has ballooned to an eye-watering Rs 2.39 million in 2024 – a fourfold increase since 2010. The revelation came in a routine written reply from the Ministry of Law and Justice, led by Azam Nazeer Tarar, igniting fresh debate over judicial perks amid a backdrop of widening economic inequality. The Ministry's breakdown laid bare a consistent, steep upward trajectory: from Rs 560,000 in 2010, the pension of the country's top judge climbed annually to reach over Rs 2 million by this year. This includes notable jumps – Rs 1.005 million in 2015, Rs 1.338 million in 2018, and a leap to Rs 2.39 million just this year. The figures prompt urgent questions about fiscal responsibility and transparency in the allocation of public funds for the country's superior judiciary. Further fuelling public scrutiny, the Senate was told that the Chief Justice's widow enjoys lavish benefits – including a driver, orderly, free water supply, an exemption from income tax, and monthly allowances covering Rs 3,000 worth of telephone calls, 2,000 electricity units, and 300 litres of petrol. Critics argued these privileges, extending well beyond standard provisions, illustrate entrenched elitism within the country's corridors of power. The disclosures overshadowed proceedings as the Senate moved swiftly on other legislation, including the Petroleum Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Virtual Estates Ordinance 2025. The latter sparked visible friction when Senator Afnanullah of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) staged a walkout, accusing his own party government of intellectual theft. 'This bill is mine,' Afnan protested. 'I spent months preparing it, only for the government to block it and then present a copied version. This is outright cheating – credit must be given where it's due.' The Senate's rapid referral of these contentious bills to standing committees leaves their fate uncertain, yet the Chief Justice of Pakistan's pension hike is certain to ignite ongoing debate over judicial accountability and the prioritisation of public resources in a country grappling with economic hardship. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PARTLY FACETIOUS: What's the ‘Nawaz Sharif doctrine'?
'Do you want my philosophy in life?' 'No, not really.' 'You may learn something from it.' 'Doubt it my friend – I mean what are you? A journalist who has never ever won an award, not even when there was a how do I put it? Hamm loot sale…' 'Shut up right now. Anyway, want to hear it or not my philosophy is if someone is stronger than I am then I will capitulate till such a time as I may build capacity…' 'You will be like the Federal Board of Revenue – all capacity building technical assistance by donor agencies have failed.' 'Nonetheless, I stand by my philosophy.' 'The Shehbaz Sharif doctrine…' 'You really don't know when to shut your mouth.' 'OK, so the Nawaz Sharif doctrine is to conform to your type of policy till such a time that it begins to irritate him and…and wait…the time from conforming to non-conforming is at best two and a half years and…' 'Right, and only one year and six months have passed, so I guess 50 percent of the time…' 'One makes more sacrifices for one's children and I reckon…' 'So let's give him another two years, three years…' 'Shut up. Anyway, the Shehbaz Sharif doctrine is valid if and only if you understand the factors at play.' 'What factors?' 'Well, look at the Europeans and Zelenskyy. Do they not understand that Russia is winning the war, and yet they publicly stated their ridiculous terms demanding Russia's capitulation and backing out of all territory won and…' 'Well they are democratically elected, though they certainly don't represent their own public opinion, so I reckon they are all going to be ousted in the next elections…' 'Hmm, but what I would suggest to Shehbaz Sharif is to give awards to mainstream journalists in the West who seem to also be unaware of the fact that they have freedom of the press and can…' 'If wishes were horses…' 'I see beggars flying globally.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
