SC hands over control of elitist club to audit firm

Apex court notes Lahore’s Royal Palm Gold Club’s contract with railways was wrong

LAHORE: The Supreme Court has taken over Lahore’s Royal Palm Golf and Country Club and handed its administrative matters to an audit firm. The court has also ordered to take record of the club into custody while imposing ban on entry of its management into its premises.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar issued this order while hearing a case related to allegedly illegal occupation of the Pakistan Railways’ land by the elitist club.

During the proceedings, the CJP noted that the club’s contract with the railways was wrong from the day one. “They got the land in connivance of the railway management and made billions of rupees,” he said.

The top judge said the land belongs to the Pakistan Railways and the court will not allow anyone to lay claim on it. Management of the club is very influential and half of the country obeys them, he added.

Earlier, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid appearing before the court, appealed to it “in the name of Allah and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to recover the railways land. “It is a precious land. This land should be recovered for the sake of citizen,” he said.

The CJP said the railways land will also not be allowed to be used for housing societies. He said extra lands of railways should not be leased out for more than three years. “If the additional land is given to provinces even they will sell it,” he added.

He said the land of railways should remain with the railways. He said if the provinces had any objections, they should file application according to the law.



The club’s counsel Ali Zafar said Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed was hearing the case. The CJP said: Let us make him part of this bench as well. Fix the hearing right now and bring the record through airplane.

The court was informed that the case about the railways land is being heard in the Lahore High Court. The court summoned the LHC record by tomorrow.

The court ordered that the club will neither be taken over by the railways nor by Sheikh Ramzan till its forensic audit. No activities in the club, including marriage ceremonies, should be affected. No member of the management will be allowed to enter it, it said. The court adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.

There was a dispute between the managements of the Pakistan Railways and the Royal Country Club over non-payment of lease money. The former later approached the top court to resolve the issue.