The Supreme Court (SC) has disposed of review petitions over construction in the forests of Murree, directing the applicants to approach the relevant forums for the redressal of their complaints - including a ban on transfer of properties.
This was directed on Monday by a three-member bench of SC, headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar and comprising Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and Justice Faisal Arab, as they heard a case pertaining to the construction in the forest areas of the popular hill station, Murree.
The petitioner’s counsel, Fauzi Zafar, contended that the Punjab finance department had allegedly misinterpreted the apex court’s decision. Lawyer Shafqat Abbasi told the bench that the Punjab finance department has imposed a ban the transfer of lands in three tehsils for a period of two years in light of the court's verdict.
He contended that the SC’s decision only focused on the recovery of encroached land and did not allude to any kind of ban.
At this, Justice Arab said that even if the court’s verdict is being misinterpreted, the decision of the Punjab government should be challenged before the related forum.
The court further noted that review petitions regarding constructions in the forests of Murree has already been dismissed and asserted that new laws will come into place if the court hears the matter again.
Justice Amin remarked that the petitioner has to implement the court’s orders.
Justice Baqar observed that according to the applicants, the SC’s verdict is being misinterpreted by the government. However, the petitioner is allowed to lodge a case before the relevant forum if the government's decision infringes on their rights.
The court directed the applicants to approach the related forum for the redressal of their complaints and disposed of review petitions.
In 2018, the apex court had directed that all illegal buildings constructed in Murree. Hearing a suo moto case on illegal buildings constructed in the hill station, the court had further directed the then Rawalpindi deputy commissioner to use heavy machinery to raze the illegal construction.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2020.
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