LDA plots: SC seeks reply from petrol pump owners

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought written replies from the occupants/owners of petrol pumps established on the land of Lahore Development Authority (LDA), which they allegedly got on throwaway prices and without auction.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu case against the allotment of 25 plots owned by.

Earlier, the owners of the pumps, including senior journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, appeared before the court. Punjab caretaker law minister Zia Haider Rizvi, deputy commissioner Anwarul Haq and LDA DG Amina Imran Khan were also present in the court.

Shami said he had been subjected to character assassination as if he owned six petrol pumps in the city. He said he came to the court to seek justice.

However, Chief Justice Nisar told Shami that it was a court of law and also advised him to avoid politicising the issue. “If a probe is ordered, many facts would be unveiled,” the chief justice added. Shami said it seemed that the court had some grudge against him. However, the chief justice rebuffed his claim and said the court did not nurse grudge against anyone. Chief Justice Nisar reminded Shami that he had tried to approach the court in PTV chairman Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi’s appointment case. “You can be put to a contempt of court notice,” the chief justice warned Shami. The chief justice expressed serious dismay when it learned that the most of the precious land of the government had been leased to the petrol pumps owners at the rate of Rs 15,000 per year. He lamented that the government failed to protect its land.

The caretaker law minister told the court that a committee had been constituted to hold a detailed inquiry into the matter.

The chief justice directed the minister to hold a meeting of the committee and submit a report by Friday (today) and ordered the owners to file their written replies. The chief justice had taken notice on an application filed by Abdullah Malik, stating that the land was allotted on throwaway prices illegally which needed proper investigation.