RMC hostel occupation: 'We will not allow encroachment'
National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) illegal occupation of a girl’s hostel draws the ire of the Supreme Court.
ISLAMABAD:
National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) occupation of a girl’s hostel drew the ire of the Supreme Court on Friday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, said that NAB’s occupation of Rawalpindi Medical College’s girls’ hostel was “pathetic”. The hostel was occupied by NAB back in 1999 and about 2,000 students are being forced to live in private apartments outside the college.
The chief justice was told that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed had repeatedly written to NAB’s bureau chief in Rawalpindi asking the authority to vacate the hostel. But all those requests were ignored.
“Our girls are forced to pay extra fares, bear other expenses and live outside their hostel,” Justice Chaudhry remarked.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said, “We will not allow [such an] unauthorised occupation.”
The chief justice added that organisations like NAB have no jurisdiction over public buildings owned by other departments.
“Public property cannot be disposed off except in the manner prescribed by the law,” Justice Ramday added.
Justice Chaudhry said, “I don’t know what kind of message we are passing. We will not encourage this thing.”
After the chief justice’s remarks, official sources inside NAB told The Express Tribune that NAB Chairperson Justice (Retd) Deedar Hussain Shah directed the concerned departments to shift their offices elsewhere. The authority presently runs four accountability courts, a police station and an office in the hostel.
The RMC hostel issue was brought up during a case hearing of Pakistan Rangers’ occupation of 500 acres of Punjab Agriculture Research Department’s land in Rahim Yar Khan District. Rangers have also blocked the road passing by the land.
The Supreme Court took a suo motu notice when residents of a nearby village wrote to the court about their predicament of not being able to use
the road.
The court has already told Pakistan Rangers twice before to vacate the land and open the road. In response Rangers surrendered most of the land except a seven-acre plot, where it is running a school for the past 15 years.
Major Fakhar of Pakistan Rangers told the court that the land was given to them by Ministry of Interior and the Punjab government. He said that they were running the school for the children of
that locality.
However Fakhar could not produce a written proof of his claim when the court asked him to. The court also issued notices to Punjab Chief Secretary, Ministry of Interior Secretary and DIG Rangers.
Mazhar Ali Chaudhry, representing Pakistan Rangers, said that they were “trying” to settle the matter amicably with the people of the village and needed more time, but the court rejected his request and asked Rangers to submit a written statement that they have surrendered the property. Pakistan Rangers complied and surrendered the land.
Sources in the government say that NAB has illegally occupied public property in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan to run
its operations.
The provincial governments are struggling to get the department to vacate these buildings. The Supreme Court’s stance, an official said, will help provincial governments get their property back from NAB.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2011.
National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) occupation of a girl’s hostel drew the ire of the Supreme Court on Friday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, said that NAB’s occupation of Rawalpindi Medical College’s girls’ hostel was “pathetic”. The hostel was occupied by NAB back in 1999 and about 2,000 students are being forced to live in private apartments outside the college.
The chief justice was told that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed had repeatedly written to NAB’s bureau chief in Rawalpindi asking the authority to vacate the hostel. But all those requests were ignored.
“Our girls are forced to pay extra fares, bear other expenses and live outside their hostel,” Justice Chaudhry remarked.
Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday said, “We will not allow [such an] unauthorised occupation.”
The chief justice added that organisations like NAB have no jurisdiction over public buildings owned by other departments.
“Public property cannot be disposed off except in the manner prescribed by the law,” Justice Ramday added.
Justice Chaudhry said, “I don’t know what kind of message we are passing. We will not encourage this thing.”
After the chief justice’s remarks, official sources inside NAB told The Express Tribune that NAB Chairperson Justice (Retd) Deedar Hussain Shah directed the concerned departments to shift their offices elsewhere. The authority presently runs four accountability courts, a police station and an office in the hostel.
The RMC hostel issue was brought up during a case hearing of Pakistan Rangers’ occupation of 500 acres of Punjab Agriculture Research Department’s land in Rahim Yar Khan District. Rangers have also blocked the road passing by the land.
The Supreme Court took a suo motu notice when residents of a nearby village wrote to the court about their predicament of not being able to use
the road.
The court has already told Pakistan Rangers twice before to vacate the land and open the road. In response Rangers surrendered most of the land except a seven-acre plot, where it is running a school for the past 15 years.
Major Fakhar of Pakistan Rangers told the court that the land was given to them by Ministry of Interior and the Punjab government. He said that they were running the school for the children of
that locality.
However Fakhar could not produce a written proof of his claim when the court asked him to. The court also issued notices to Punjab Chief Secretary, Ministry of Interior Secretary and DIG Rangers.
Mazhar Ali Chaudhry, representing Pakistan Rangers, said that they were “trying” to settle the matter amicably with the people of the village and needed more time, but the court rejected his request and asked Rangers to submit a written statement that they have surrendered the property. Pakistan Rangers complied and surrendered the land.
Sources in the government say that NAB has illegally occupied public property in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan to run
its operations.
The provincial governments are struggling to get the department to vacate these buildings. The Supreme Court’s stance, an official said, will help provincial governments get their property back from NAB.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2011.