The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday sought details of Waqaf properties in Punjab and issued directives to Secretary Auqaf Punjab to submit comprehensive report including particulars of departmental possession as well as illegally occupation of Waqf property by others in the province.
The secretary was also directed to inform the court about retrieved Waqaf properties along with details of actions taken against the encroachers. A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a petition, filed by custodian of a shrine Noorpur Shahan, praying for evacuating the shrine's land under occupation of Punjab government for Ashiyana Housing Scheme.
During the course of hearing, Khawaja Haris, Advocate General Punjab, informed the bench that Sections 15 and 16 of the Punjab Evacuee Properties Ordinance allows the Chief Administrator of Auqaf of the province to take over and assume the administration, control, management and maintenance of Evacuee Property by notification. Haris added that the provincial government has developed schools and hospital at the Ashiyana Housing Scheme.
Tariq Mehmood, counsel for Punjab Revenue Department, informed the bench that for the last many years before the attachment of Darbar Noorpur Shah's property the income of the shrine was Rs 0.9 million which witnessed an increase of Rs 4.4 million. He said that out of the 19 plots as many as 14 were given on lease whereas five would be leased out soon. He added that income of the plots would be spent on the welfare projects of Noorpur Shahan shrine.
Secretary Auqaf Tariq Pasha informed the bench that total land of the shrine was 672 Kanals and its income was Rs 0.3 million, while the Punjab government has provided 2,845 Kanals to the shrine at another place. He told that the shrine was situated 7 kilometers away from the main road and only two to three persons visited the Darbar. Khawaja Harris requested the court to give him some time to file a comprehensive report about the project. The court adjourned the hearing for four weeks.
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