A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday stopped the Punjab government from evicting federal additional secretary for industries from government residence situated in GOR-I.
The bench headed by the LHC Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order on an inter court appeal filed by Additional Secretary Industries Agha Nadeem against an order of LHC single bench. Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel argued before the court that the Punjab government allotted a government residence in GOR-I to Agha Nadeem while he was serving as secretary transport in Punjab. The counsel said that according to the allotment policy Agha Nadeem could retain the house for five years after his transfer from the province.
He said that the petitioner was relieved in 2008 from service in Punjab, and later posted as an additional secretary for industries.
The counsel pointed out that the petitioner was not allotted any residence in Islamabad by the federal government. He said that the respondent department issued a notice to the petitioner directing him to vacate the house which he challenged before the court. He added that the Punjab government had changed its allotment policy when the case was still being heard, and the petitioner could retain the house for two years after transfer from the Punjab according to the new policy.
