— CJP questions role of Revenue Dept in residential areas
— Resents over non-availability of liver transplantation for children at PKLI
LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday directed the authorities to present a report on Malik Mansha Ali Khokar, a landgrabber more commonly known as Mansha ‘Bomb’, as it resumed hearing a suo motu case pertaining to his properties.
The top judge was hearing a petition of an overseas Pakistani at the Lahore Registry of the Supreme Court (SC). Mahmood Ashraf had lodged a complaint against Lahore police’s purported inaction against Mansha, whom he had accused of grabbing his property illegally.
As the hearing was underway, the Lahore deputy commissioner alleged that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) was yet to hand over recovered land to the petitioner.
“Mansha bought 32 kanals of land in 1992. However, later on, he sold it,” he told.
In response, the top judge inquired the law according to which the ‘patwar circle’ was working and questioned the role of the revenue department in residential areas. He also disapproved of the dissatisfactory attempts made to urbanise.
Later, he sought a report from LDA, revenue department and the district administration on the recovery of grabbed land.
Earlier on Saturday, the top court had given the Lahore deputy commissioner one week to hand over the grabbed property to its rightful owners.
The chief justice came down hard on the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Waqas Nazir and summoned the provincial police chief as well as the Lahore deputy commissioner.
On Oct 2, 2018, the Lahore administration had launched a grand operation against encroachments, retrieving illegally possessed land, including around 80 kanals possessed by Mansha ‘Bomb’ in Johar Town worth Rs5 billion.
On Oct 4, 2018, an investigating officer had told the court that Mansha ‘Bomb’ had gone underground since the SC ordered a crackdown on land grabbers.
On Oct 15, 2018 Mansha ‘Bomb’ was taken into custody from the apex court after he had gone there to “surrender” himself.
PKLI:
Justice Nisar expressed resentment over the non-availability of liver transplantation for children at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) in Lahore, despite the expenditure of Rs34 billion on its establishment.
Hearing the suo motu notice regarding the liver transplantation in PKLI, he remarked that four hospitals could be constructed with this huge amount.
Institute’s CEO Dr Jawad Sajid informed the chief justice that an immediate provision of the facility is not possible due to the non-availability of necessary infrastructure. However, he said the facility will be available for adults in May next year.
