SC orders seizure, auction of pumps established on uncharted land in Lahore

Reports says 32 petrol pumps established on state land in the provincial capital

LAHORE: The Supreme Court ordered the government of Punjab and the City District Government Lahore to take over 24 petrol pumps, which are being run despite the cancellation of their leases and put them on sale through open bidding.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a matter regarding doling out state land on lease without a transparent manner and on throwaway prices.

According to the report submitted to the court by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed, there were 32 petrol pumps established on state land in the provincial capital. She contended that four of them were established on the land of the Municipal Corporation of Lahore (MCL) while 20 were on the land of the provincial government. The land of the remaining eight pumps was already acquired by the government for the Orange Line Metro Train project.

The DC pointed out that owners of all 24 pumps had not been vacating the land despite the fact that their lease stood cancelled several years ago. One of the owners had been running their pumps despite the cancellation of the lease in 1961 by taking shelter of stay orders from civil courts, she added.

Owners of the petrol pumps were also present in the court along with their counsels. However, the CJP Nisar rejected their arguments and observed that the court would not allow the doling out of state land at the cost of the public exchequer.

The chief justice ordered the DC to immediately seal the petrol pumps and put them for sale through auction.