Arbitration resolves Ojhri Camp land dispute

RAWALPINDI:

A nearly 43-year-old land dispute over the Ojhri Camp area has been amicably resolved through arbitration, bringing to an end a long-running compensation case linked to state land acquisition.

Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench issued a detailed verdict in compensation petitions filed in 1983, approving a settlement reached through the arbitration process.

Under the settlement, compensation amounting to Rs2.30 billion has been paid to the affectees of 259 kanals and three marlas of land at Ojhri Camp. The landowners agreed to accept the compensation determined by the GHQ Board in 2014, the court noted.

While approving the settlement, the court declared that the legal right of the affectees to seek enhancement of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act would remain protected. It clarified that the affectees could still approach relevant courts by filing references for an increase in compensation.

The petitions for compensation were originally filed in 1983 after the Pakistan Army acquired the land. The court record also noted that the tragic Ojhri Camp incident of April 10, 1986 occurred on the same site.

In its written order, the court stressed that mediation committees and arbitration institutions are an urgent necessity for Pakistan's judicial system, observing that such mechanisms save valuable time, money and energy for litigants.

Following the approval of the settlement, the LHC disposed of the writ petitions and all related applications.