SC bars politicians from placing nameplates on state land

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court stopped politicians from placing their nameplates on state land. A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard the petition of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) that the land near Saidpur belongs to the Board.

Justice Faez questioned how the politicians could place their nameplates on the state land, adding any politician who wants to give his land to the State then he is most welcome.

He said the practice of putting politicians’ nameplates on katchi abadi and State land will not be allowed. The bench directed the SC office to send this order to the Punjab chief secretary, the provincial government, and the advocate general of Punjab.

The counsel for the ETPB said that the federal government in 1992 had declared the land near Saidpur Road, Rawalpindi as a katchi abadi, and in 2008 Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister Punjab granted this land to private individuals. He further said that as a “Dharam Shala” was there in the land of katchi abadi; therefore, it is the property of the ETPB.

Justice Faez said there is no evidence that this land belongs to the ETPB, adding neither the Trust ever claimed “Dharam Shala” on this land of katchi abadi, nor it gave any proof in this regard.

The property was sold in the year 1992, in pursuance of the approval given by the social welfare federal minister in 1977, by the ETPB official later on the letter of the deputy secretary of the ministry.

The ETPB challenged soon thereafter the sale deed on different grounds before different courts and finally, the matter was brought to the Supreme Court against the LHC’s judgment of January 1, 2022.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022