SC tells off LDA director general

The court directed the DG to submit a detailed report by July 23 without disturbing the petitioner.

LAHORE:

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court on Monday admonished the Lahore Development Authority for demolishing the wall of a private property in violation of court orders and instructed LDA Director General Ahad Cheema to investigate and take action against the officials responsible.

Saima Bibi has moved a contempt petition in the SC stating that she owned a 10-marla plot in China Housing Scheme and the court had through an earlier order barred officials from disturbing her possession of the land.

She said that LDA Estate Officer Aqeel Akram had later visited her plot and demolished the external wall in violation of the court’s stay order.

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar ordered that the estate officer be taken into judicial custody and summoned the LDA director general. Cheema appeared before the court on short notice and said he had no knowledge of the incident.

The court remarked that LDA officers were violating court orders right under the DG’s nose and he was sitting idle. Cheema apologised and assured the court that he would take action against the officers responsible.

The court accepted his explanation and released the estate officer. The court directed the DG to look into the ownership of the plot and submit a detailed report by July 23 without disturbing the petitioner.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2013.