Ownership rights: Govt reply sought on petition

Blind families filed petition seeking ownership rights to one kanal and 15 marlas

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Tuesday sought a reply from the government regarding denial of ownership rights to around 100 members of blind families living in a katchi abadi of Masti Gate. The blind families filed a petition seeking ownership rights to one kanal and 15 marlas and against their possible eviction by the government. However, a provincial law officer told the court that the government had no plans to dispossess the petitioners. The chief justice adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed by office of the court’s registrar and directed the government to file its reply. The petitioners said that almost all governments had pledged to give them ownership rights of the houses but those promises had not been kept. Their lawyer said the Revenue Department had once offered that the petitioners buy the property for Rs500,000 per marla but had later withdrawn the offer. He said now the department through a notification had put a ban on the sale of the property. The counsel prayed to the court to set aside the impugned notification and direct the government to give the petitioners ownership rights to the property.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2012.