The Lahore High Court has stopped the caretaker government of Pakistan Punjab from handing over at least 45,267 acres of land in three districts - Bhakkar, Khushab and Sahiwal - of the province to the Pakistan Army for 'Corporate Agriculture Farming', media reports said on Friday.
On Thursday, a two-page verdict was issued by Judge Abid Hussain Chattha over a petition filed by Ahmad Rafay Alam on March 28 on behalf of Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan, Dawn reported.
About two weeks ago, the Pakistan Punjab government had signed an agreement to hand over the land to the army, referring to a notification dated February 20, 2023 and a joint venture agreement of March 8, the report said.
According to the verdict, the LHC has barred the Punjab caretaker government from extending any "lease of state land" for the above-mentioned purpose as per the government's notification.
Noting that the points raised by the petitioner "need consideration", the high court issued notices to the respondents for May 9 and asked them to submit a response by then.
It also sent notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan and the Advocate General of Punjab province.
The petition filed by Alam had named Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, the Punjab Board of Revenue, the Punjab agriculture secretary, the Punjab forest, wildlife and fisheries secretary, the Punjab irrigation secretary and the Punjab livestock & dairy development secretary among the respondents.
It had asked the court to declare that the caretaker government "cannot take major policy decisions" and also declare the February 20 notification as "illegal, null and void", Dawn reported.
Citing a letter dated March 10 that was issued to the Punjab Board of Revenue, it had further asked that the "handing over of any and all properties/land by and between the respondents" be declared "illegal, null and void" as well.
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