–Top court orders leasing out 24 petrol pumps through auction
LAHORE: The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday barred the authorities from constructing a marriage hall in place of the United Christian Hospital (UCH).
Hearing a suo moto case pertaining to the lack of funds for the restoration of UCH, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that UCH, once considered to be the pride of Lahore, was lying in ruins.
“Punjab University (PU) and Forman Christian College (FCC) had promised to provide their faculty for assistance in the restoration of the hospital. The government had also vowed to provide 25 per cent funds for its renovation,” the top judge remarked.
He said that all big contractors, who earned millions, must now come forward for the uplift of the hospital and also tasked the steering committee to furnish its report on the matter.
The CJP said that he could go to “any extent” for UCH’s restoration as it was a gift to Lahoris by the Christian community. He also ordered the Punjab chief secretary to come up with a restoration plan for the neglected hospital.
PETROL PUMPS:
Earlier, the SC ordered to lease out through auction as many as 24 petrol pumps situated on Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and the provincial government’s land in the city.
The bench, headed by CJP Nisar, passed the orders while hearing an application filed by Abdullah Malik regarding petrol pump sites.
As proceedings commenced, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Saliha Saeed appeared before the bench and submitted that out of 32 petrol stations, 24 were active whereas remaining eight had been razed to the ground as they fell in the Orange Line Train project route.
She said that the lease of all petrol pumps had expired and they were paying a very small amount as rent. “Four petrol pumps are situated on MCL’s land whereas the remaining on land belonging to the provincial government.”
At this, the bench observed that the court would not allow misuse of official property and ordered leasing out all 24 pumps through auction.
A civil society member, Abdullah Malik, had filed an application stating that petrol pump sites of the MCL and government had been allotted on throwaway prices.