‘China-cutting’ case: Stay order against operation extended

Court orders respondents to submit records of land by April 8.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court sought on Friday extension in a stay, granted earlier, on an operation against the land owners of 419 kanals of land, near Rawal Dam.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani granted an extension in stay and directed the respondents—collector Islamabad, Land Acquisition Collector Government of Punjab, Rawalpindi, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA)—to submit record of the land on April 8.

Ten petitioners, all residents of Mouza Lakhwal of Islamabad, through their counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi had approached the court after CDA sprung into action against occupation and sale of land of Rawal Dam and Lakhwal village.

In the petition, the counsel states that the total land of revenue estate of Lakhwal was 5,925 kanals and five marlas, out of which 2,874 kanals and eight marlas were acquired by CDA and 2,631 kanals and 16 marlas of land was acquired by the land acquisition collector, Rawalpindi, for the construction of Rawal Dam.

Resultantly, he said, approximately 419 kanals and five marlas of land was not acquired by any authority.

The counsel said that the inhabitants of the village, including petitioners, filed a civil suit of competent jurisdiction and it was decreed in their favour in 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2016.