A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday summoned the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general on a petition seeking cancellation of plots allotted to 28 LHC judges during PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as prime minister. The bench consisting of Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan and Justice Malik Shahzad Khan issued notice on a petition filed by Advocate Saiful Haq. As proceedings started on Monday, the petitioner said that LDA was using delaying tactics in the matter, which was evident from the fact that the LDA’s counsel again failed to appear in court. He submitted that his case had been pending for the last 17 years and should be decided now as early as possible.
The court also directed the Punjab assistant advocate general to ensure his appearance on the next hearing. The petitioner challenged the allotment of plots to senior LHC judges in Johar Town and Garden Town, Lahore, in 1993 on grounds that the plots could only be allotted to officials if the allottee or his family did not own any other plot and must testify the same on affidavit. Saif said that his petition was dismissed in 1994 by a judge who was also involved in the matter. The petitioner requested the court to set aside the order of the single bench and cancel the plots allotted to retired and serving judges by LDA on orders of Nawaz. He said that he had filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) in 1995 against the single bench’s order but the case was not heard until 2002. He said that Nawaz allotted the plot to judges in violation of rules and regulations to please the judiciary by out of the way methods for his political gains.
