LDA ordered to give possession of disputed plot to petitioner

[LRE]

LDA ordered to give possession of disputed plot to petitioner

* LHC summons LDA DG for explanation if court order is not implemented

Staff Report

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Justice Ali Akbar Qurreshi on Wednesday ordered the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general (DG) to give possession of a plot in New Garden Town to a petitioner within three days or appear before the court for explanation.

The petitioner, Muhammad Saleem Bhatti, said he bought the plot in 1997 but was not given its possession.

The judge issued the order in a contempt-of-court petition against the LDA for not relinquishing the possession of the plot to the complainant after an earlier order of the court. LDA DG (Estate Management) Irfan Ilahi appeared before the court on Wednesday and sought some time to implement the court order.

The judge ruled that the DG (Estate Management) and the LDA DG would both have to appear before the court on the next hearing if the court order were not implemented within three days.

The judge also ordered the petitioner to pay the balance amount, if any, for the plot within three days, saying that in case of failure to do so, the court order would stand vacant. The next hearing would be conducted on July 15.

The petitioner said he had bought the plot from the LDA in an auction. He said he paid Rs 1,424,000 – one tenth of the total amount – while the remaining amount Rs 14,243,094 had to be paid in 12 weeks. “The court had granted status quo on the land in a petition, but the LDA, deliberately, did not disclose it to me at the time of auction,” the petitioners added. He said, later, he had asked the LDA authorities to return his money or give possession of the plot to him, but to no avail.

He said he petitioned the LHC in 1998, seeking directions for the LDA to give him the possession of the plot or return his money. The LHC, on November 30, 2007, ordered the LDA to give possession of the plot to the petitioner if he had paid the balance amount within 30 days, the petitioner added.

He said he had paid the balance amount in accordance with the court order but the respondents did not give him the possession of the plot. He said contempt-of-court proceedings should be initiated against the LDA for not implementing the court order.


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