SC slaps Rs1m fine on Punjab govt over frivolous appeal

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Monday imposed Rs1 million fine on the Punjab government for wasting its time by filing a frivolous case, and ordered it to pay the amount to the owner whose land was utilised for constructing a road without paying him its price.

A three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, dismissed an appeal of the Punjab government, filed against verdicts of an appellate court as well as the high court in favour of the land owner.

The court directed the provincial government to ensure payment to the land owner within a month according to the current market rate, besides paying the fine amount also to the owner of the land.

As per case, the Punjab government had constructed a road in Gujranwala in 2007 and brought into use nine-marla land of a citizen, Liaqat Ali, without paying him the price.

The affected man challenged the government act in the court of law and both the appellate panel as well as the high court had decided the case in his favour.

During the course of hearing on Monday, CJP Qazi Faez Isa questioned as to how the state built a road on the land without the permission of its owner and without paying him the price. Neither the owner had gifted his land for construction of the road nor the state had acquired the said land,” the CJP remarked and asked the Additional Advocate General Punjab as to why he had filed such a frivolous application in the court. “Is it our job to teach the provincial law officer the constitution,” the CJP questioned.