LAHORE: The Defence Housing Authority’s (DHA) counsel has asked the Lahore High Court (LHC) to expunge ‘biggest land grabber’ remarks made by Chief Justice Mohammad Qasim Khan about the Pakistan military.
He had regretted that the army had also grabbed a piece of land measuring 50-kanal owned by the high court and added that he would instruct the LHC registrar to write a letter to the army chief in this regard.
Presiding over the hearing today (Thursday), CJ Qasim Khan said no one should occupy another’s land. The DHA’s counsel, Altafur Rehman Khan, said the remarks against the army in Wednesday’s hearing had caused concern in the institution.
“The court is requested to delete the remarks about the army.” To this, the chief justice said his remarks were not meant to dress anyone down but were about the conduct of “some people of yours”.
“Respect for institutions is paramount, the court’s remarks were not meant to hurt anyone,” Justice Khan said, adding, “These remarks were made for a few people.”
Justice Khan further said, “People respect the army soldiers sitting at the borders of Kashmir, Siachen Glacier and Bahawalnagar,” adding, “You first have to realise this responsibility.”
He also questioned if anyone from the DHA was present in court. The judge had directed the DHA administrator to appear before the LHC today along with the complete record. “The legal director has come from the DHA,” said the DHA’s counsel Altafur Rehman Khan.
CJ Khan said that the DHA had issued a letter after occupying the land and asked when the land in question had been taken over. “I cannot give the whole building of the high court to anyone today,” he added.
The court ordered that no legal change be made in the status of the petitioners’ land and also ordered the legal director of the DHA to appear on May 3 after receiving instructions from the DHA administration.
On Wednesday, the chief justice, while hearing petitions of three citizens seeking an order against the DHA to not disturb their lawful possession of the land, had lashed out at the DHA for its involvement in “illegal” occupation of lands and regretted that the army seemed to have become the “biggest land grabber”.
