Property dispute: Fight over plot lands in troubled waters

Landowner taken to court for torching makeshift worship place.

LAHORE: A Christian woman has taken a group of men to court for allegedly setting fire to a makeshift church set up on a vacant eight-kanal plot in Lahore, sparking concerns a group is painting a property dispute with religious colours.

Rani Mughal has filed a petition in the district and sessions court, claiming the Christian place of worship was torched on April 14 after community members had marked Good Friday.

She alleged armed attackers, including Munib Usmani, Mukhtar Bajwa, Ahmed Usmani and Sohail Dar, arrived at the plot and warned them with dire consequences if they did not vacate the place immediately.

The next day, the petitioner added, the attackers returned and ransacked the tents on the plot while setting ablaze the makeshift worship place. She requested the court to order the area police to register a case of the episode and question the accused.

The court has sought comments from the SHO concerned.

The plot thickens

One of the respondents, Mukhtar, owned the eight-kanal plot, which was later sold to a man named Abdul Aziz. He, however, could only manage payment for four kanals, which were transferred to his name.

The parties went into litigation and a case is pending with a civil court. Aziz later obtained a stay-order over the remaining land which is still in the name of Mukhtar.

According to the residents of the area, Aziz asked a Christian family to set up tents on the controversial plot while also encroaching on the area still owned by the previous owner.

After Mukhtar learnt of this, he came to the place on April 14 and asked the families to vacate the land and after getting an assurance left the place.

Mukhtar came back the next day along with his men and wrapped up the tents erected on the plot. Locals said the place was not torched as claimed by the petitioner.

Both the parties have submitted applications to the area police station concerned. Mukhtar has accused Aziz of trying to occupy his land while the latter claims his rival set a Christian place of worship ablaze.

Who’s done what?

Kashif Sohail, a Christian social worker, confirmed the place was set on fire but no one was injured as the accused only wanted to terrorise the community.

He told The Express Tribune the community members went to the area police station but their pleas went unheard. Later, they filed a petition with the district and sessions court, seeking a case against the attackers.

Talking with The Express Tribune, Aziz confirmed he had allowed Christians to set up house on a section of the property.

He alleged the respondents set fire to the place allocated for worship as they held a grudge against him after he defeated them in a property case.

Mukhtar claimed Aziz was a land grabber who used different tactics to encroach properties. Pleading innocence, he said he had not asked anyone to set fire to the tents and this could be confirmed from the residents of the society.

Cantonment SP Operations Rana Tahir Rehman said the matter had been referred to the Defence ASP and a report would be submitted within three days. “It is premature to confirm anything at this stage,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2017.