Punjab University campus in Jhelum: Judicial complex handover challenged
Petitioners say the move is politically motivated and will ‘deprive’ residents from access to easy justice.
RAWALPINDI:
The Punjab government’s decision to hand over an under-construction judicial complex in Jhelum to Punjab University (PU) for its new campus has been challenged in court.
A petition was filed by Iftikharul Haq and six other men, all residents of Bhuttial village near Jhelum, naming Punjab chief secretary, minister of law secretary, finance secretary, board of revenue secretary, PU vice-chancellor, planning and development board chairperson, Rawalpindi division commissioner, district collector and Jhelum land acquisition collector as respondents. They said the notification for transfer of the complex issued in November last year should be declared illegal and stopped immediately.
The Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court would take up the petition next week.
The petitioner said the construction of the judicial complex started in 2005 and Rs16.617 million were spent under Access to Justice Programme (AJP) to acquire 260 kanals at Bhuttial village, as the 160 years old existing premises for the district courts could no longer accommodate the growing needs of the district courts.
According to the petitioners, Rs390.199 million were approved for the construction of the complex and Rs109.67 million were approved for construction of judicial officers’ residences under the AJP programme.
Till November last year, the authorities spent Rs286.901 million on the project but the provincial authorities decided to hand over the under-construction complex to PU for its Jhelum campus, he added.
Calling the decision politically motivated, the petitioner alleged the present rulers of the Punjab were “bent on” depriving the residents of Jhelum from having a modern court complex to get easy justice.
Legally speaking, the petitioners said, under the relevant laws if any piece of land is acquired for a specific purpose, it cannot be used for any other purpose. If the project is shelved, the land is to be returned to the owner from whom it was acquired. The residents of Jhelum have also urged the court to stop the PU from taking over the building to start its new campus.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.
The Punjab government’s decision to hand over an under-construction judicial complex in Jhelum to Punjab University (PU) for its new campus has been challenged in court.
A petition was filed by Iftikharul Haq and six other men, all residents of Bhuttial village near Jhelum, naming Punjab chief secretary, minister of law secretary, finance secretary, board of revenue secretary, PU vice-chancellor, planning and development board chairperson, Rawalpindi division commissioner, district collector and Jhelum land acquisition collector as respondents. They said the notification for transfer of the complex issued in November last year should be declared illegal and stopped immediately.
The Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court would take up the petition next week.
The petitioner said the construction of the judicial complex started in 2005 and Rs16.617 million were spent under Access to Justice Programme (AJP) to acquire 260 kanals at Bhuttial village, as the 160 years old existing premises for the district courts could no longer accommodate the growing needs of the district courts.
According to the petitioners, Rs390.199 million were approved for the construction of the complex and Rs109.67 million were approved for construction of judicial officers’ residences under the AJP programme.
Till November last year, the authorities spent Rs286.901 million on the project but the provincial authorities decided to hand over the under-construction complex to PU for its Jhelum campus, he added.
Calling the decision politically motivated, the petitioner alleged the present rulers of the Punjab were “bent on” depriving the residents of Jhelum from having a modern court complex to get easy justice.
Legally speaking, the petitioners said, under the relevant laws if any piece of land is acquired for a specific purpose, it cannot be used for any other purpose. If the project is shelved, the land is to be returned to the owner from whom it was acquired. The residents of Jhelum have also urged the court to stop the PU from taking over the building to start its new campus.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.