CJ furious over land cases pending for 76 years

LAHORE: Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Saturday got furious over pendency of two cases involving 3,000 kanals of land before the Senior Member Punjab Board of Revenue for the last 76 and 68 years respectively.

“Why did you not comply with the Supreme Court’s directions regarding land dispute and its compensation?” the chief justice asked the senior revenue officer standing at the rostrum. “It is contempt of court that you have not complied with the orders.”

“What is the performance of public departments? Look at these,” Chief Justice Nisar remarked, addressing the reporters present in the courtroom during hearing of a complaint moved by Dr Nazifa Usman, head of Pathology Department of Allama Iqbal Medical College at the Supreme Court Lahore registry.

The officer requested the top judge to give him some time for compliance with the court orders, but he admonished him, saying why he should be given time and for what.

“You are issued contempt of court, explain it right now,” the chief justice ordered the Senior Member Board of Revenue. The officer again repeated the request which was accepted with a warning of contempt of court on the next date of hearing (Monday).

The complainant cried for justice, seeking directives for implementation of the court orders regarding her decades-long property dispute. However, she was reluctant to share the details of her case with the reporters.

She said her father Barrister Ahmad Zaman Khan fought his case but in vain and she had been struggling to get justice. She said her family was deprived of 3,000 kanals of land which was taken by Burki family and the revenue department was also reluctant to solve the issue of compensation pending for the last 68 years.

In a separate incident, a man, Faiz Rasool, tried to commit suicide along with his family members outside the Supreme Court registry for losing job with a private company, but a timely response of the police officers present foiled the attempt and took him to the Old Anarkali Police Station.

“My family is starving,” man cried outside the court building and sprinkled petrol on himself to set himself ablaze.

“I don’t want to live,” said Faiz, “because I don’t have job. My company removed me.”

Many other litigants, including the contract employees of Punjab University, also staged protest outside the registry to get justice. They said they came to the chief justice after knocking every possible door for justice, as they chanted slogans in the favour of the chief justice.