Notice to govt in forest land grabbing case

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to the Punjab government and forest department on a petition of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani seeking dropping of proceedings against him in forest land possession case.

Petitioner’s counsel Rana Asadullah Khan submitted that his opponents were maligning him by trying to implicate him in fake cases. He said his opponent Muhammad Ali Dareshak had a political grudge against him for defeating his brother in elections and managed filing a petition against him. He requested the court to order for deletion of his name from the petition filed regarding the possession of the forest land.

On previous hearing, the Punjab Revenue Department had informed the LHC that it had retrieved 6,900 acre land of forest department from the illegal possession of Gorchani. Chief Settlement Commissioner Dr Saqib Aziz appeared before the court along with the officials of the revenue department.

They said that the chief minister would decide the matter of transferring the said land to the forest department or any other department. However, they assured the court that the rest of the land would soon be retrieved from the possession of the respondents.

At this, Justice Sayed Mansoor Ali Shah had ordered the Punjab Revenue department to submit report about the rest of the land on next hearing.

Sardar Ali Raza, an MPA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had filed the petition and pointed out that the deputy speaker in connivance with the officials of revenue department grasped the forest land.

He alleged that 10,000 acre land of the department was in the illegal possession of the deputy speaker. He said the respondent started cultivation on the land by cutting the woods. The counsel prayed to the court to get the forest land recovered from the illegal possession of the deputy speaker.

PAT moves court: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has also approached the Lahore High Court against Punjab Local Government (Amended) Ordinance 2016 that changed method of electing mayors/deputy mayors from “secret ballot” to “show of hand” besides other changes in the law.

PAT’s secretary information Noorullah Siddiqi filed a writ petition saying the amended ordinance had overhauled the process of election of chairman or mayor to the selection.

The petitioner pleaded that independent candidates had been subjected to legislative coercion and undue influence by ruling party (PML-N) wherein they were elected to remain free of political affiliation. He stated that Article 226 of the Constitution postulates the secret process of election devoid of undue influence.

He said the method of open division (show of hand) while electing the chairman/mayors was potentially dangerous for the independent candidates with weaker limbs as opposed to the major political players in higher elections.

The petitioner contended that the post legislative strategy of the provincial government to manipulate results of the election by substantial changes was highly objectionable, and repugnant to the Constitution.

He prayed to the court to declare the impugned amendments to the law null and void and restrain ECP from conducting the forthcoming elections for the reserved seats as well as mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen, vice-chairmen of the district councils under the impugned ordinance. 

The LHC has already sought reply from the Punjab government on petitions of PTI, PPP and PML-Q against the amended ordinance.