Lahore High Court restrains govt from leasing or selling land to foreigners

[Naveed Yaseen]

Petition against land lease disposed of
Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has disposed of a writ petition filed by Kisan Board, which alleged the government was ready to lease or sell 10,00,000 acres of agriculture land to foreign countries.

On Tuesday, the chief justice directed the Ministry of Food and Agriculture that no land would be sold or leased out to any foreign country without prior intimation to this court.

The Ministry of Interior submitted para-wise reply to the petition, claiming that the issue in litigation was related to Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The ministry could explain the situation in a better way, it said.

The petition was filed by the Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) president Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan alleging that the government was ready to sell 10,00,000 acres of agriculture land to foreign investors and out of which 500,00 acres land had been offered to Saudi Arabia in all the four provinces. The government of Qatar had also shown interest in purchasing the agriculture land, it added.

The petitioner said the land being offered for sale to Saudi Arabia was double in size to Hong Kong.

It was pointed out that the sale or lease of land on such a massive scale might pose a security risk to the country because the people of the sub-continent had faced the same problem when the East India Company had come to this part of the world.

Earlier, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had also admitted the fact in a written reply submitted in the LHC that few foreign countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar had shown interest in agriculture sector but no land had been offered to the Saudi government or private investors as such decisions would finally be taken in consultation with provincial governments.

“These proposals are still at pre-feasibility stage and no commitment has so far been made with any country or private investor about leasing out of government or private land to any foreign investor”, the report said.

“Ministry of Food and Agriculture keeps receiving proposals for cooperation and investment in agriculture sector in Pakistan from various countries.

The Ministry examines these proposals in consultation with the stakeholders before firming up final recommendation,” the report added.

On Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Amir-ur-Reham on behalf of the Interior Ministry requested the court to delete its name from the petition.

The chief justice accepted this requested but observed that contempt of court notices would be issued to the ministry if it took any action about leasing out land.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=203157

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LHC restrains government from leasing land to foreigners
RECORDER REPORT
LAHORE (October 14 2009): Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Khawaja Muhammad Sharif restrained the government from leasing or selling out land to foreign countries without prior notice to the court and held that if interior ministry will take any action it would have to face contempt of court proceedings.

The court while disposing of the petition filed by Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) challenging the proposed sale or lease of millions of acre agriculture land to foreign countries directed the ministry Food and Agricultural not to sale or lease out home land before informing the court.

The court also deleted the name of interior ministry from the array of the respondents, as ministry contended in its reply that it had no concern with the matter. The court, however, deleting the name of the ministry from respondents' list observed that if ministry would take any step then it would have to face contempt of court proceedings.

The petitioner President, Pakistan Kisan Board Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan had alleged that the government was planning to lease out a land measuring 500,000 acres to Saudi Arabia. He said another plan to give 1 million lacs acres land to Gulf States and other countries was also in progress.

He submitted that the land, which is being offered for sale to Saudi Arabia, is double in size to Hong Kong and it would amount to deprive of our own people from rich soul and climate suitable for almost every crop. He said the government should itself use the land for cultivation to help the people suffering from price hike. Petitioner claimed that sale or lease of land on such a massive scale might pose a security risk to the country.

The petitioner said the poor peasants are more deserving to get this land for betterment of their families and in the long run for the economic uplift of the country. He requested that federal government might be restrained from selling or leasing out land to foreign countries and distribute it among the peasants.

The ministry of food and agriculture in its reply to the petition had stated that few foreign countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar have shown interest in agriculture sector but no land has been offered to Saudi government or private investors as such decisions would finally be taken in consultation with provincial governments. These proposals are still at pre-feasibility stage and no commitment has so far been made with any country or private investor about leasing out of government or private land to any foreign investor.

Federal government will minutely examine all aspects of foreign investment before any decision is taken. According to the report, the ministry of food and agriculture keeps receiving proposal for co-operation and investment in agriculture sector in Pakistan from various countries. The ministry examines these proposals in consultation with the stakeholders before firming up final recommendation.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=203157