SC for vacation of state land from two petrol pumps in Faisalabad

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered the government to vacate state land from two petrol pumps in Faisalabad.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprised Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin, heard the case pertaining to lease of state land for establishment of petrol pumps.

During the course of proceedings, Syed Qalb-i-Hassan, counsel for the pumps owners, said National Highway Authority (NHA) leased the state land to the petrol pumps.

Justice Qazi Amin responded that the NHA was not above the law and the land was not allocated to the NHA for business, he added.

He said illegal use of government land should be discouraged.

The chief justice said the NHA allowed the construction of petrol pumps on the green belt at an annual rent of Rs. 30,000.

He asked how the land of green belt was allotted for the petrol pumps.

Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said the government land could not be leased for pennies.

The chief justice said all pumps built on green belts would be removed.

The court sought a report from the Punjab government within four weeks.

A pump in Faisalabad was built at green belt and other was at Joy Park.