The CJP questioned the role of Pakistan Army in property deals.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 4th September, 2018) Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has questioned the involvement of Pak Army in ‘property deals’.
A hearing on suo motu case regarding the removal of billboards in Lahore was held in the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday.
During the hearing, the CJP questioned the role of Pakistan Army in property deals. The CJP asked since when the army had been involved in property deals, and questioned how the army can build housing societies.
He said that the Army should make housing societies for the families of the martyred. "If the army wants to make housing societies, they should make them for their own people. But they make plots and start selling them to average people," he said.
The CJP said that "billions of rupees" are earned from the allotment and transfer of land, asking where the Defence Housing Authority's (DHA) "billions of rupees" go.
No spokesperson from DHA was present at the court.
Issuing a notice to DHA Lahore, the CJP asked if the army of a country runs a business to earn money.
The CJP said there were banners or pictures of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hanging at every poll on the Mall Road and asked if they were installed by the Pakistan Horticulture Authority (PHA).
To this, PHA additional director general (ADG) denied placing any billboard.
The PHA ADG also said that they did not give approval for placing the banners and posters in Lahore, adding that cases were registered against the PHA employees when they tried to remove them.
He added that the billboards in Lahore are held by Cantonment, DHA, NLC, and NHA.
To this, Cantonment’s counsel Latif Khosa said that amount generated through billboards shared a major part of the Cantt’s income.
He argued that the government issued no funds for the Cantonment, adding that the income generated through billboards spent for providing facilities to the residents.
When PHA lamented over non-issuance of funds for development of parks, the chief justice remarked, “Will you open casinos if funds are not released?”
Justice Umar Ata Bandial raised his concern over the digital boards that distract the drivers.
The SC issued a notice to DHA Lahore, and asked DHA, the Cantt board, Pakistan Railways and the NLC to submit a reply within 10 days and explain who gave permission to put up the billboards.
The court asked the Lahore Commissioner to issue a notice to all organisations to remove the billboards.
“If the notice is not acted upon, the Commissioner Lahore should inform the court,” CJP Nisar said.
The hearing of the case was postponed till the last week of September.
