SC orders return of retrieved land to owners within a week

CJP orders to replace a civil judge on complaint; reprimands Punjab police for poor performance

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday ordered authorities to hand over possession of illegally occupied properties reclaimed from notorious land grabber Malik Mansha Khokhar alias ‘Mansha Bomb’ to their rightful owners within one week.

The CJP also ordered Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi to advertise on media about setting up a camp at Lahore’s Jouhar Town where people could submit complaints if their lands are still in the possession of land grabbers or if they have not been given possession of their lands.

Justice Nisar also replaced civil Judge Noor Muhammad, who had been assigned cases related to properties of overseas Pakistanis, after a petitioner complained that the judge disrespected him and treated Mansha Bomb’s party in a very kind and polite manner.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by the CJP, issued these orders at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry while hearing a petition of overseas Pakistani Mahmood Ashraf against Mansha Bomb, who, according to the petitioner, had deprived him of his property.

CJP Nisar expressed his dismay over the performance of the police high-ups in handing over possession of properties to their owners after recovering them from Bomb.

“Is this the police of Naya Pakistan?” the CJP noted. "Police officials should be ashamed as people use abusive language against them but even then they are adamant on defending land grabbers.”

The CJP reprimanded DIG Operations Waqas Nazir when he contended that the police had handed over possession of 19 properties to their actual owners after reclaiming them from Bomb.

DIG Nazir contended that it was the police which arrested Bomb and the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi. He said the 19 properties had been handed over to the actual owners while some of them were yet to be handed over to their owners by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) after the due process of demarcation.

“You should take care that the court is supporting the police but you people have joined hands with the land grabbers. What is your relationship with Mansha Bomb? Why are you trying to protect him?” the CJP asked the DIG operations, adding: “You will not be allowed to go home in uniform if found guilty.”

The DIG assured the court that he was a loyal officer and did not work under any pressure.

LDA Director General Amina Imran Khan told the court that they had conveyed the message for demarcation of lands to the Lahore deputy commissioner.

CJP Nisar during the hearing summoned IGP Saleemi, Lahore deputy commissioner, District and Sessions Judge Abid Qureshi, Civil Judge Noor Muhammad and Bomb. As IGP Saleemi appeared in court, the CJP said: “I am really upset today. Where is the chief minister who used to make tall claims about reclaiming occupied land? You people could not catch a Mansha Bomb and he surrendered before this court,” he said.

IGP Saleemi told the CJP that the police could not function without support of the court.

Bomb broke down in the courtroom and asked the CJP for mercy. “Why you did not show mercy when you were grabbing others’ lands. You even did not have fear of God,” the CJP told Bomb.